


The Captain of the Virtual Console: Mega Man

by Gancena



Series: The Captain of the Virtual Console [2]
Category: Original Work, Rockman | Mega Man - All Media Types, Rockman | Mega Man Classic
Genre: Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-05
Updated: 2018-05-18
Packaged: 2018-10-15 00:54:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10547274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gancena/pseuds/Gancena
Summary: Self-Insert. Also known as Virtual Console Captain. A gamer takes up a mission to collect Runestones from many gaming worlds to fight a being that threatens them all.With one Runestone secure, Gancena leaps into a world that has more recently captured her eye. But Gancena hasn't exactly considered how to best take on robotic opponents...





	1. The Good Doctor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Mega Man and its characters, objects, locations, and scenarios belong to Capcom.

A pair of robotic children, one boy and one girl, conversed and worked in front of the open access panel of a new specialized robot.

 

“Can you reach it if I hold it?”

 

“I should. Hang on…” The girl’s hand opened at one of her fingertips, revealing a welding tip. The rest of her hand shifted around it to create its base. Using her free hand to keep the Light Labs insignia in place, she used the tool to solder the inner ID plate to the interior of the robot. “Okay, got it,” she said, pulling away.

 

“That means we’re done!” the boy declared, shutting the outer access panel. Like his sister’s, his hand turned into a screwdriver, which he used to reseal the panel back in place. “That’s everyone, Dr. Light.”

 

A kind-looking old man with a full, soft white beard watched his children, the boy with blue eyes and brown hair in a blue t-shirt and shorts, and the blonde blue-eyed girl in a red dress, emerge from behind the line of new robots.

 

“Thank you, Rock and Roll,” he said, watching Rock’s arm shift back from the screwdriver head. When Rock and Roll approached, Dr. Thomas Xavier Light grabbed them affectionately by the shoulders. “The Robot Masters are finally ready. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

 

“But you built us on your own, Doctor,” Rock pointed out.

 

“True, but six new robots from scratch, each with their own unique and specific functions, is an even more massive undertaking. Thank you both for helping me. Now, for tonight, at least, we can relax.”

 

“Not quite,” Roll insisted. “Look at this place! We’ve been so busy building the Robot Masters that the lab itself is a complete mess!”

 

Rock and Dr. Light glanced around the lab and found that the edges of worktables and the entirety of desktops were covered in spare parts, nuts and bolts, oil canisters, tools, and blueprints, all spread as if with no method whatsoever.

 

“Oh… I guess it is,” Rock gingerly agreed.

 

“I appreciate your concern as always, Roll,” Dr. Light said, “but we’ve all been working for so long. You two have earned a break just as much as I have—perhaps even more.”

 

“Then Rock and I will clean and reorganize the lab while you get ready for bed,” Roll decided.

 

“Wait, both of us?” Rock asked.

 

“It’s only fair to Dr. Light, Rock!” Roll insisted. “We don’t need to rest in the same way that Dr. Light does. And do you know exactly how many late nights he’s had while doing this?”

 

“Eighty-seven?” Rock offered.

 

“Exactly,” Roll deadpanned. She looked at Dr. Light. “You can go ahead, Doctor. We’ll take care of this.”

 

“Well, Roll, I think the mess can wait one more night—“ Dr. Light started.

 

“Nope! I’m taking care of this now so you won’t have to dig through everything,” Roll said. “And I’ll do it myself if I have to!” she added, looking at Rock.

 

“No, I’ll help,” Rock said. “I just think—“

 

“I know what you’re going to say, and I don’t want to hear it,” Roll said, already making her way to a work table.

 

“But I didn’t even—“ Rock started, following her.

 

“You don’t have to,” Roll said.

 

Dr. Light chuckled. When he’d decided to build twin assistants, he’d never dreamed that all three of them would become this close. He watched in a mix of amusement and delight as Rock and Roll conversed and worked like a human brother and sister might.

 

He wished he’d done it sooner. Much, much sooner…

 

Then, pausing in her gathering of loose objects, Roll looked at him. “Dr. Light? Aren’t you heading to bed?”

 

Dr. Light laughed. “I know I should be. But if it’s all right with you, I’d like to spend a little more time here and keep you company.”

 

“Dr. Light—“

 

“I know, Roll. But can you blame me for wanting to spend time with my children?”

 

Roll smiled. “All right. When you put it that way, I guess I can’t. Just leave the heavy lifting to us. You’ve done enough for today.”

 

Dr. Light sat in a chair by a worktable. “Thank you, Roll.”

 

“So…” Rock started. “These Robot Masters. I’ve been wondering about them.”

 

“Wondering what, my boy?” Dr. Light asked.

 

“I know why you designed and built them and what they can do, but I guess… I’ve been wondering _about_ them. What they’re like. But we’re not really going to get to see much of them once they’re shipped out and working, huh?”

 

“They’ll be sending me data on an almost constant basis, which I’ll have to analyze to help them refine and improve their abilities,” Dr. Light said. “So I’ll still be working with them for a long time.”

 

“Well, I mean… we probably won’t really have the chance to get to know them. We won’t know what kinds of personalities they have, or what things about the world they like or don’t like, or how they feel about us.”

 

“Oh,” Dr. Light realized. “I… I suppose not.”

 

“I mean, you’re their creator, just like you are with us, Dr. Light. And they have similar hardware and similar AI…” Rock continued. “That makes you their father, too, right?”

 

Dr. Light didn’t answer right away, but he knew his son was right, in a sense. He knew from the start that these robots would be sent to companies all around the world to aid in their dream projects and revolutionize human-robot relations. He designed and built them with the same care and attention to detail as he had for Rock and Roll, but he hadn’t gotten attached to them in the same way. He realized now that Rock, at least, did.

 

“So they’re like our younger brothers, too… right?” Rock finished, looking up. “Dr. Light?”

 

\---

 

Light Labs was an isolated compound about half an hour’s drive from the heart of the city, and it was directly attached to Dr. Light’s house so he could live and work in the same area. He would never be too far from both his passions and his comforts, and he could raise Rock and Roll to see the world much like human children.

 

The compound was surrounded by forest, and it was there that Gancena and her friends appeared.

 

It was a much more stable landing than Kanto’s had been, with everyone still standing. But Gancena still felt as if her insides had to set back into place, as if she’d just been riding an elevator.

 

“All right. Seems we’re here,” she declared. “How is everyone?”

 

 _“That was so weird!”_ Ash exclaimed from her shoulder.

 

 _“I’m okay,”_ Biran added.

 

 _“Me, too,”_ said Floss.

 

“I think it went smoothly,” said Haunter, floating to Gancena’s side. “So… ah,” he said, his eyes landing on the only building in the area. “That’s our destination, then.”

 

Gancena looked. She saw a beige two-story house, and jutting off the side was a sleeker square-shaped building with its own door. The top read “Light Labs”.

 

She swallowed. They’d made it. “It sure is.”

 

 _“The immediate area is clear of Thoughtless,”_ Mewtwo declared. _“What will you do?”_

 

“Oh. Well, uh…” Gancena started, trailing off into careful thought. Her end goal was to find the Runestone and purge the Thoughtless from this world. She knew that it would involve working together with Mega Man and his family.

 

Gancena then realized she had no idea where in the series’ timeline she was. Was she really at the beginning? Did Mega Man even really exist yet? In any sense?

 

“It depends on a lot,” Gancena said to herself. “Hang on.” She took a seat and thought further. If Mega Man was around, then she could simply ask about the Thoughtless and go from there. But if he wasn’t… well, she could ask about the Runestone.

 

It was unlikely that any of them had the Runestone, and really, it would be a disappointingly short journey if they did, but asking might just have been worth the try. If anything, that would open up the discussions between them.

 

Gancena nodded. That would be her opener.

 

But what was she to do with the Pokémon right then…? There were no creatures like them in this world. She didn’t want to scare or alienate any of the Light family. She would have to ease them in to the details of her journey. Just like Red, and Rose, and everyone she had to tell her story to. But would it be good to start now, or to wait a moment? If anyone, she’d likely go with Ash... and if they asked, she could pass her off as a rare creature or… even her own advanced creation?

 

No, no, no, she didn’t know enough about robotics to make that kind of pass.

 

“Okay, I’m going by myself,” Gancena decided.

 

 _“Aw, why?”_ Ash asked immediately.

 

“Asking about the Thoughtless and the Runestone are going to be odd enough questions for them. I’ll introduce you guys later. I gotta ease them into this. Much like you all and Red before, really. Come to think, that’s pretty much how it’s going to go, isn’t it? Ask relevant people about the Thoughtless and the Rune and just work from there.”

 

 _“If that’s what you want,”_ Mewtwo said. _“But if you want to ease them in, as you say, you might want to remove your Super Scope and Power Pad.”_

 

Gancena looked down at herself. “Oh, whoops.” She immediately removed her belt, deciding to tuck it into her backpack and take it up onto her back. She hoped she looked enough like a traveler. “All right.”

 

Ash sighed behind her.

 

Gancena trotted out of the trees and towards the door, looking at all features of the building. The laboratory itself was put up front, with the house standing behind. There was a stark difference in architecture: The lab was sleek and stark white and efficiently placed while the two-story house was all weatherproof paneling and tempered brick. The lab would have fit well in Gancena’s school, and the house in her own neighborhood.

 

She came to the door and paused, realizing that sitting above the doorbell—she assumed—was a speaker and a small screen. She should have guessed Dr. Light would have something like this. She tugged up her pants as much as she could, set her feet firmly in her shoes, tightened her ponytail, and stood up straight. This was it.

 

She pressed the button. A doorbell sound rang softly inside.

 

\---

 

The Light family heard the doorbell go off, and Dr. Light’s watch beeped. “Hm? Who could be at the door at this hour?”

 

“I can go get it if you’d like, Dr. Light,” Rock offered.

 

“It’s all right, Rock. You and Roll continue what you were doing. I’ll see who it is from here.” Dr. Light tapped the watch, showing the view from the doorbell’s camera. Gancena’s face appeared on the little screen, waiting. “Hello?”

 

\---

 

Outside, Gancena’s heart jumped when she saw Dr. Light’s face similarly come onto the screen above the doorbell, his greeting coming perfectly clearly through the speaker. She was briefly stricken by how… real he was. There were his soft blue eyes and full white beard, all on a properly proportioned face. “Hi,” she finally started. “Hi, my name is Gancena and, uh, I know it’s a really odd time, but I really need to ask about something.”

 

 _“At this time?”_ Dr. Light asked.

 

“Yeah. …It’s not too late, is it? I can come back tomorrow if—”

 

_“No, it’s all right. If you’re coming here to ask questions, it must be important to you. Go on.”_

 

“Ah! Thank you. See, I’m looking for something. A golden stone…” she held her hands up in a circle once again, “about this big? By any chance?”

 

 _“No, I can’t say I have,”_ Dr. Light answered.

 

“Yeah, I knew it was unlikely, but I’m just going anywhere trying to find _some_ kind of start,” Gancena said, briefly scratching her head. “But also… you haven’t seen anything else unusual, either? Like… like a moving… shadow? Moving on its own, I mean, not physically cast by anything.”

 

_“What do you mean?”_

“Shadows are normally the result of something blocking the path of light, right? But these don’t. They’re just… there.”

_“I can’t say I’ve seen anything like that, either.”_

 

“Okay, then. Again, sorry to come like this and ask about these things, but like I said: I’m going anywhere for a lead. Don’t worry about them too much if you haven’t.”

 

_“Why are you looking for these things?”_

“Ah,” Gancena started, “well, the stone… it’s important to me. And the shadows...” Gancena paused. On one hand, the Light family needed to know what to do if Thoughtless did come by when she wasn’t around. But on the other, she didn’t want to scare them or have them think she was crazy enough to warrant calling the police or a mental institution. “…Just… if you see them, try not to be alone. Have someone with you, if you can. They can be… frightening when they catch someone alone.”

 

Dr. Light’s brow furrowed. _“I’m not sure I understand.”_

 

Gancena was at a loss on how to continue. So she decided to say so. “It’s… hard to explain unless it happens.”

 

A long silence. Gancena began to worry, already thinking ahead to interrogations and hospitals—

 

 _“Are you all right?”_ Dr. Light asked softly.

 

“Physically, yes. I’m just… not sure what to do right now,” she admitted.

 

_“…If you’ll give us a bit of time to prepare a room, you can stay here tonight.”_

 

Gancena’s brows shot up. “Aaaah, no, that’s all right, really—“

 

_“It really is fine with me.”_

 

“I don’t want to impose—“ _Again!_ She added to herself.

 

_“You’re not.”_

 

“Well, you see—I’m not alone,” she blurted. “I’m the leader of a tiny group, but, you see, my friends—they’re… neither human nor robot. They’re not like anyone or anything else,” she explained hastily, feeling her face heat up.

 

Dr. Light paused before asking, _“…You have pets with you?”_

 

“…Sort… of?” Gancena managed. “I mean… they’re not animals. Some of them look like animals… ...It’s weird to explain. …If you’re really okay with me—with us—spending the night here, that’s fine, but I think it’s easier if I just show you my situation. Can you come out?”

 

_“That’s all right. Give us a moment. Take your time.”_

“Thank you.”

 

\---

 

Dr. Light ended the conversation, his watch returning to its default mode.

 

“Dr. Light,” Roll asked, approaching him, “are you really going to let someone you don’t know stay in the house?”

 

“Yes,” Dr. Light answered. “People should help each other in any way they can. This young woman is looking for something but doesn’t seem at all sure where to start. The least I can do is make sure she needn’t worry about shelter tonight.”

 

“But what was she talking about?” Rock asked. “A golden stone? Moving shadows? Her companions?”

 

“I can’t say I quite understand it, either,” Dr. Light said, “but I’d like to try to see where she’s coming from.”

 

\---

 

Gancena felt her stomach sink.

 

_So much for easing them in, kid!_

 

She began screaming internally and looked over her shoulder, sending the thought in Mewtwo’s direction.

 

 _Stop that,_ he said.

 

Gancena did.

 

_You would have had to do it eventually._

_Yes, but I didn’t mean to like… dump it all this soon! But, uh, I’m gonna need you guys over here, yeah?_

_I’ll let the others know._

 

_Thank you._

 

Seconds later, Ash sped down to Gancena’s side and immediately leaped on her to climb onto her shoulder, and Biran trotted after with Floss on his back and Shiimeji at his side. Mewtwo hovered slowly behind, but hung back significantly from the rest of the group.

 

 _What are you doing?_ Gancena asked.

 

_Don’t worry about me. Just handle the situation._

 

Gancena began to think of a response when the door opened. She whipped her attention back to it, feeling her stomach tingle.

 

There he was: Dr. Thomas Light, every bit the Good Doctor she’d imagined, still in his lab coat, smudged in places, and soft-looking pants and slippers. He opened the door with a kind smile, but immediately stopped upon seeing Gancena’s companions.

 

“Hi,” Gancena managed.

 

“My word!” he started. “These are your companions?”

 

“Yeah. I know they look strange—”

 

“Your horse!” called another voice, and Gancena’s heart jumped when Rock approached the door and stood in front of Dr. Light. “It’s—! …Not… burning?”

 

“That’s Biran,” Gancena said. “And, yeah, that fire is his mane. It’s totally under his control.” She began to pet his neck, letting the flames touch her hand. “He doesn’t burn anything unless he really means to.”

 

“Oh…” Rock tentatively raised his hand and glanced at Dr. Light.

 

Gancena noticed. “It’s perfectly safe. I promise.”

 

Dr. Light said, “Go on, Rock.”

 

Rock laid his hand atop the flames on Biran’s head, and while they were hot, they didn’t sear or burn. He’d never felt anything like it. “That’s amazing.”

 

Roll approached. “Where did you find him? Or any of them?”

 

“That’s the most unbelievable part of it all,” Gancena started. “See, this is going to sound unbelievable, but… I’m on a journey between worlds. Everyone with me right now came from the first world I visited.”

 

 _“Yeah! Gancena came to our world looking for the Runestone and now we’re doing the same over here!”_ Ash blurted.

 

“Let me do it, Ash,” Gancena said, flustering. “I’m trying not to overwhelm them…”

 

“Did that come from your…?” Dr. Light trailed, trying to decide what to call the small yellow creature.

 

“Yeah,” Gancena answered, “They can’t speak human languages without practice, so Mewtwo set it up so they could speak telepathically instead. Ah, let me introduce you all properly…”

 

“But I didn’t hear anything…” Rock said.

 

“Me, neither,” added Roll.

 

“Eh? Really?” Gancena asked. “Ash, can you say ‘hello’ for me?”

 

“Hello?” Ash asked.

 

“How many of you heard that?”

 

“I did,” said Dr. Light.

 

“I didn’t,” said Roll.

 

“Me, neither…” said Rock.

 

“But why!?” Ash cried.

 

Gancena immediately wondered if it was because Rock and Roll were robotic, but she kept quiet. Dr. Light hadn’t said anything about that, so if she mentioned it, it would bring up more questions.

 

She decided to change the subject. “Well, we’ll worry about that later. I was about to introduce us,” she reminded. “So on my shoulder,” Gancena began, placing a hand on Ash’s back, “is Ash.”

 

 _“Hi!”_ Ash squeaked.

 

“And you’ve seen Biran up close already,” she continued, patting Biran’s shoulder.

 

Biran briefly lowered his head. _“Nice to meet you all.”_

 

“On his back is Floss.”

 

 _“Good evening!”_ she greeted, bowing gracefully.

 

“Hovering here is Shiimeji Haunter.”

 

“But Shiimeji’s a title, so you can simply call me Haunter,” Haunter added.

 

“I thought they couldn’t speak?” Dr. Light questioned.

 

“Most of them can’t. Haunter’s had plenty of time to practice. Oh, and…” Gancena briefly stepped aside to let Mewtwo be visible. “This is Mewtwo. He’s psychic. Please don’t be too bothered if he seems… aloof.”

 

Mewtwo gave a small nod in acknowledgment.

 

“Well, then…” Dr. Light started. He paused and hummed briefly, deciding to approach this new strangeness like the scientist he was. “I admit there are some things about your companions that indeed need to be seen to be believed… Them being from another world, as you say, is a viable explanation. First, when you say that, do you mean they’re alien? Or do you mean another dimension?”

 

“The latter.”

 

“And what about you?”

 

“From another dimension still.”

 

“And do you have any solid proof of this?” Dr. Light continued.

 

“I’m afraid I don’t. Just them, my word, and the stone I previously found in their world.”

 

“So there’s another stone? May I see it?”

 

“Well, sure, but… I’m only meant to summon it when I need to, uh… use it.”

 

“Use it how?”

 

“I… could show you, but it’s an ability meant for combat, you see. I’d need something to aim at.”

 

 _“You can summon a Rune without using it,”_ Mewtwo clarified. _“It’s intent without action. If it’s not followed upon, nothing happens.”_

 

“Oh. That’s good to know,” said Gancena. She glanced back at the Light family, and it was clear from their expressions that Rock and Roll hadn’t heard a peep from Mewtwo, but Dr. Light had.

 

She called, “Rune Power!” The Pokémon Runestone appeared on Gancena’s chest. “Here, take a look. This is about the size of the stone.”

 

Dr. Light approached carefully and examined the Rune. When he finished, he said, “Well, all this proves that you’re certainly an extraordinary group… for the moment, all I can really do is either assume what you’re saying is true or conclude that I need more information.”

 

“Fair enough,” Gancena said. “So… what happens now?”

 

“…Aren’t…” Rock started.

 

“Yes, Rock?”

 

“Aren’t you going to introduce us, Dr. Light?” he asked.

 

“Oh! Forgive me, everyone, but I’ve completely forgotten my manners.”

 

“I understand,” Gancena said, chuckling. “I know this is all so weird.”

 

“And yet, here we are,” Dr. Light said. “I am Doctor Thomas Light, and these are my children, Rock and Roll.”

 

Haunter chortled immediately, trying to suppress it behind his hand.

 

“What can I say?” Dr. Light responded, smiling and shrugging. “I have a great love of many genres of music.”

 

Rock extended his hand to Gancena. “It’s nice to meet you.”

 

Gancena glanced at Rock’s big blue eyes and felt a cheerful thrill go up her spine. She took his hand. “Nice to meet you, too, Rock.”

 

“And I’m Roll,” Roll said, doing the same.

 

“Hello, Roll.”

 

“Your name’s Gancena, right?” Roll asked. “You said so when Dr. Light answered the doorbell.”

 

“Ah, yes! I didn’t introduce myself at all beyond that. My name’s Gancena, yes. And, uh… thank you for letting us stay the night. …I suppose I was wrong about one thing during the call, though I didn’t realize it.”

 

“What’s that?” Dr. Light asked.

 

“I _am_ kind of lost.”

 

Dr. Light smiled and chuckled. “Worry not. Though… I’m not entirely sure how we’ll hold you all comfortably, particularly… Biran, was it?”

 

As Biran nodded in confirmation, Gancena explained, “If we need more room, we can make it.” She shrugged her backpack off, crouched, and opened a pouch, partly pulling her belt out and plucking a Poké Ball off. “Everyone except Mewtwo has one of these Poké Balls,” she explained, pressing the center to make it grow. “They can go in their own at any time. I just wanted to have them out with me at first.”

 

Dr. Light’s eyes widened one more time. “What marvels you carry with you…! Do come in, everyone. I have so many more questions…”

 

\---

 

Absolutely none of them noticed the small spying robot that had a perfect view of Light Labs. Nor had it seen anything of Gancena or her group. The camera pointed towards the laboratory, but not the house.  And even if they had seen it, not even Dr. Light would have been able to trace it back, far back, to a fortress on a small, private island somewhere in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

 

Dr. Albert William Wily had covered his tracks with extreme care, and all his bided time was about to pay off.

 

The world would pay him _all_ his due respect.

 

His dark, beady eyes stared tirelessly at the feed, just waiting for the lights to shut off. Work-worn hands folded under a bushy gray mustache. Though the top of Wily’s head was bald, what hair remained was as wild as his mind was in that moment.

 

He glanced briefly at the little plastic case next to him, with eight chips emblazoned with a W, each perfectly in place in their own pocket, all practically glowing in anticipation. No, no, not glowing… the shadows subtly surrounding each of them could not glow. They pulsed. Yes, they pulsed as they waited to be installed into their intended places in Dr. Light’s own Robot Masters.

 

It had been the perfect seed for a perfect plan, when Light mentioned he would begin making advanced specialized robots. They’d been in and out of touch for years, but that one project was a perfect ignition point. The address of Light Labs hadn’t changed. Wily’s spying drone was there quickly, and quite comfortably so.

 

It had been from there that he could see Light and his two helper bots assemble six of the intended eight Masters—two of them, Light admitted later, had functions so complicated and unique that they would require further research and development before they could even begin being built. Still, Wily had prepared protocol chips for them, just in case Light would announce some great breakthrough, as he often did. Such an announcement never came, but Wily didn’t care. Six was more than enough.

 

In the present, he pondered one more time, as he often had, if he should bring along the most complex and powerful robot in his arsenal to the break-in. Wily was absolutely certain he would succeed either way. But would it be better to show off his own genius early on? Or to save it in case one of the Robot Masters couldn’t quite hold out like he hoped?

 

Of course, there was also the issue of sentiment… sure, before the combat modifications, he’d pledged his life to Wily out of gratitude for the life-saving procedure he’d put into place. But, well… being from Light Labs originally, would that be enough to, say, break the deal?

 

Despite his concerns, Wily cackled to himself at that phrasing.

 

Then, the moment he waited for came.

 

The lights turned off.

 

Break Man was probably still resting.

 

That decided it. He’d do it himself. And just in case, he’d keep Light’s involvement a tightly-locked secret.

 

Between the protocol chips, the endless drones produced by his Robot Factory, and the strange but helpful energy entities that had made their presence known, Wily knew that his victory was certain.

 

The world was his.


	2. The Mad Doctor

The conversation continued inside. Gancena more or less got the Light family up to speed in terms of her journey. Her word was all she had to offer as proof, but they _understood_ her story well enough, and that was what mattered. Proof would come, somehow. It had before.

 

However, Gancena never mentioned that the worlds she was meant to go to were simply video games in her world. She felt it was a bit much.

 

Likewise, none of the Lights ever mentioned the Robot Masters. They were still private.

 

And despite their best efforts, the Pokémon still couldn’t communicate with Rock and Roll directly. Mewtwo realized why over the course of the conversation: telepathic thoughts weren’t readable by Rock and Roll’s electronic systems. Nor could they find an immediate solution: the Pokémon couldn’t write their thoughts on paper, and speaking aloud meant Haunter would have to continue translating.

 

In a way, they were right back where they’d started. But Gancena had made a decision: Vocalization practice would start the next day.

 

But the night wasn’t over yet.

 

\---

 

It was subtle at first. Dr. Light awoke hours later to an urgent beeping from his watch. He looked. It was the Light Labs security system alerting him to a breach. His heart dropped to his stomach. Who—!?

Not their guests…!

 

He rustled out of bed and ran out of his bedroom right away.

 

\---

 

Rock and Roll woke up similarly, but instead of an alarm beeping, it was an internal notification that told them what was wrong. Each of them came out of their own rooms in an instant, just in time to see Dr. Light shuffling down the stairs.

 

\---

 

The noise was enough to catch the attentions of both Mewtwo and Shiimeji Haunter. Mewtwo woke first, snapping himself into full alertness, while Haunter hummed briefly as he raised himself from his position on the floor.

 

Upon noticing that Mewtwo was awake, Haunter asked, “Did you hear something?”

 

_“Yes. Wake the Captain.”_

 

Haunter’s ears pricked. “Yes!” He floated over and grabbed her shoulder. “Captain. Captain Gancena!”

 

“Eeeh?” Gancena mumbled, twitching. As she sat up, Ash was awakened, and the conversation was enough to catch Floss’ attention. “What’s up?”

 

“The Light family all woke up suddenly.”

 

Gancena’s heart jumped. “Oh, no,” she said. She pulled the sheets off her and slid to the floor, opening her backpack urgently. “Ash, Floss, prepare for battle! I think it’s starting.”

 

“What’s starting, exactly?” Haunter asked.

 

“Mega Man’s story,” Gancena declared quietly, latching her belt securely around her. “Come on!” she shouted, bursting through the bedroom door.

 

She only glanced back once to be sure the Pokémon were at least beginning to follow before descending the staircase and heading in the direction of the laboratory.

 

The doors had been left wide open. She could see into the main workspace. And there were Dr. Light in blue-grey striped pajamas and slippers, Rock and Roll in matching blue and red pajamas, staring in shock at…

 

\---

 

“Albert!?” Dr. Light shouted.

 

Dr. Light and his children had come to the lab just in time to see Albert Wily, seated comfortably in a hovering capsule with two disturbing swaths of shadow whirling around it, watching as a small horde of almost soldier-like robots hauling the inert Robot Masters one by one into the back of a Skullker, a flying vehicle embossed with the image of a human skull.

 

“That’s right, Thomas!” Dr. Wily said, grinning. “Oh, how lucky that I actually get to see the look on your face as I finally put my plans into action!”

 

“Plans!? What plans could you have conceived that involve stealing my robots!?”

 

Dr. Wily cackled. “You see, Dr. Light, it may seem sudden to you, but I’ve decided to take over the world! And it turns out your precious Robot Masters have just the kind of power I need.”

 

“No!” Dr. Light yelled. “Those robots are meant to help advance society! Repurposing them for something as maniacal as world conquest…!”

 

“Of course they were,” Dr. Wily mocked. “But I see an even better world: One where my robots and I dominate all of humanity! If it makes you feel better at all, I’ll let you keep the two helper robots. After all… they won’t be able to help you with much more for very long!” He laughed and laughed as the door to his flying Skullker closed, letting it escalate into a cackle that echoed throughout the building.

 

Rock clenched his fists.  Roll held Dr. Light’s sleeve. Nobody knew what to do.

 

“Dr. Wily!” roared a voice. Gancena charged forward, standing before the Light family, Ash, Floss, and Haunter assembling around her. She held an arm out behind her and said, “Hey, guys, watch the glass,” before facing the Mad Doctor front and center. She held her Super Scope in one hand and Biran’s Poké Ball in the other.

 

Dr. Wily raised a brow, and the two Thoughtless around him paused and ruffled agitatedly. “And who are you supposed to be?”

 

“My name is Gancena, and these are my friends! Whether we defeat you now or later, I won’t let you get away without a fight!”

 

Dr. Wily absolutely guffawed. “And what are you going to do? Tell your pets to sic me? Pretend to fire your toy?”

 

“This is no toy,” Gancena growled.

 

Ash’s ears pricked, and she suddenly pointed at Dr. Wily’s capsule and started yelling. “Pika-pika! Pika!”

 

“What is it, Ash?”

 

“Chu!” she repeated, leaning forward, still pointing.

 

Gancena looked, and at the front of the capsule was a part that didn’t seem to belong, a single disc-like part that appeared to not be made of metal, but of stone.

 

Then she noticed the imprint: a very blocky picture of a helmeted robotic head. Mega Man’s extra lives.

 

Dr. Wily had mounted the Runestone on the front of his capsule.

 

“Give that to me!” she yelled immediately, taking aim with her Scope, firing at the area next to the Rune.

 

Her shots hit the Wily Capsule, and Dr. Wily himself flinched before pressing a button to make a red glass dome come over his head, sealing the Capsule shut.

 

The Thoughtless charged. Gancena dropped Biran’s Poké Ball to let him out and began to fire at one. Ash aimed Thunderbolt at the other. Haunter cast Night Shade and Floss let out a burst of Stored Power. Biran added a Flamethrower to the combo attack.

 

When the attack ended, the remnants of the two Thoughtless merged into one.

 

The Skullker’s engines flared to life with a roar.

 

“Goodbye, old friend!” the voice of Dr. Wily called. “I’ll be sure to remember you from my throne!”

 

The Skullker took to the sky and the Wily Capsule hovered alongside it.

 

“Wait!” Gancena roared, firing at the Thoughtless again.

 

Biran used Flamethrower to stop it from moving.

 

Gancena made a decision. “Keep at it, Biran! Finish the Thoughtless off! I’m going for Wily!” she declared, running off.

 

“Pika-pika!” Ash called, following.

 

“Gancena, hold on!” Rock called, dashing forward.

 

“Rock!” Roll called.

 

“Rock, wait!” yelled Dr. Light.

 

A line of them chased after the Wily Capsule, Gancena at the front, firing when she could take decent aim, with Ash on her heels, Rock just behind them. Seconds later, Biran sped past them all, catching up to Gancena’s side.

 

“Did you get it?” she asked.

 

_“Floss and Haunter have it under control. They’ll be here soon! I just had to come, too!”_

 

From his Capsule, Dr. Wily growled and began to press buttons on his console, preparing the ship to drop a Proto Eye, a large crowd control robot based on smaller Big Eyes, to distract his pursuers. “Fine. If you’re so keen on trying to play hero, then play with _this!_ ”

 

The base of the Proto Eye dropped, and it hit the ground with a heavy thud. Gancena halted in surprise, and the others stopped alongside her.

 

The base opened and out emerged a long thick rod holding up a huge robot with one big red eye. It spewed exhaust from several vents on it.

 

Then it compressed the rod and released it, leaping toward them.

 

“Watch out!” Gancena called, automatically scooping up Ash before getting out of the way. “Everyone, attack the eye!”

 

Floss and Haunter caught up with the group then, immediately began preparing a Moonblast and a Shadow Ball. Biran fired a Flamethrower, but he couldn’t quite reach the eye before having to move out of its way.

 

Rock looked the Proto Eye over and couldn’t help but agree that he would aim for the eye, too. But he knew he could only jump so high. How was he going to get there…?

 

Gancena and Biran each strafed around the Proto Eye, looking for a place to aim and fire. Biran found a spot that to fire from, but Gancena continued to struggle. She knew she had to put Ash down to let her use Thunderbolt, but didn’t feel safe doing so as the Proto Eye continued to jump, first in Rock’s direction, then in Floss and Haunter’s.

 

Floss’ Moonblast ended up mostly hitting the body of the Proto Eye, but Haunter was able to make his Shadow Ball fly more precisely.

 

“Rock!” called Roll.

 

Rock looked back, and there was Roll, running forward, clutching a broom in one hand.

 

“Roll!?”

 

“Leave them alone, you—!” Roll grunted, swinging the head of the broom at the Proto Eye’s support rod. It wobbled slightly for just a second.

 

The Proto Eye set its sights on Rock and Roll below it and blinked, sending out a shot of green energy. Rock grabbed his sister’s hand and sprinted underneath its body to avoid it.

 

“Pika-pika!” Ash shouted, wriggling herself out of Gancena’s grip.

 

“Ashie—!” Gancena called.

 

Ash sparked and fired a Thunderbolt towards the Proto Eye’s body, making it stop and twitch in place.

 

Rock glanced at the rod again and decided to make his move while its attention was away from him. He ran for it and brought his leg back, swinging as hard as he could. He kicked the rod so hard that it bent violently, and the Proto Eye began to fall over. Rock leaped out of the way and back to Roll’s side. Its body split open as it hit the ground. Sparks flew and the eye flickered into darkness.

 

Gancena grabbed Ash, then herded Biran, Floss and Haunter to get away from the robot’s line of sight, and everyone waited.

 

“Is it done?” Gancena called. “Did we get it?”

 

Rock leaned over the opening in the Proto Eye’s body and Roll prodded at it lightly with the wooden end of the broom. “Yeah,” she declared. “We got it.”

 

Gancena sighed and placed Ash on the ground, closing and putting her Scope away. She glanced at Rock and Roll and then at the ground, not sure what to say.

 

“That guy… Dr. Wily,” Rock started, approaching.

 

Then Gancena looked up. “Yeah?”

 

“He had your Runestone, right?”

 

“Yeah. He did. And now he has your father’s robots.” She sighed and glanced away again, but when she spoke, she looked Rock in the eye. “I’m sorry.”

 

Rock glanced at the sheathed Scope. “It’s not your fault.”

 

“But what can we do now?” Roll asked. “Dr. Wily’s going to use the Robot Masters to…” she trailed away, unable to bring herself to complete the thought.

 

“You can call the police,” Gancena said. “Technically speaking, this is a burglary. A home invasion. And we know who did it. Telling them is the thing to do.” She lightly bit her lip. “But… I don’t think it’ll do much for the Robot Masters.”

 

Rock looked to Gancena, concerned. “You think so?”

 

“Yeah. …Rock, there’s something I need to say. When I came here, I knew you would, at some point, encounter Dr. Wily. But I didn’t know whether or not it had already happened.”

 

“Wait, so you knew Dr. Wily was going to do this!?” Roll exclaimed.

 

“Sort of, sort of,” Gancena said, holding out a hand. “I didn’t know if he’d already taken the Robot Masters or not. When my friends woke me up, I knew right away that it was exactly what he was doing. I didn’t know he had the Runestone. All I knew was that he was taking the Robot Masters and I wasn’t going to let him without a fight. …Even though I’m not… strong enough for that yet. And that’s what I’m sorry for.”

 

“Wait, so you came because you knew Dr. Wily was going to do this… and you wanted to help us?” Rock asked.

 

“Yes. My main mission is the Rune, but of course I’m going to help whenever I can. And now helping you and getting to the Rune are one and the same.” She turned towards the sky where Dr. Wily had fled.

 

“…Thank you,” Rock said.

 

“Eh?” Gancena sounded, looking at him.

 

“Thank you for doing what you did,” Rock said. “You didn’t have to do anything, but… you just came and confronted Wily without hesitating. I can’t speak for Roll or Dr. Light, but… it definitely means a lot to me.”

 

Gancena smiled. “I’m glad to hear it, Mega.”

 

Rock’s smile vanished. “What?”

 

“Eh? What’d I say?”

 

Haunter chuckled behind her.

 

“You just called me… Mega?” Rock said.

 

Gancena’s eyes widened. “Ohhhh my gosh…” she said, covering her mouth and averting her gaze. “I am _so_ sorry. I don’t know why I did that…”

 

“Don’t worry about it,” Roll said suddenly, grabbing Rock’s hand. “We need to get back to the lab. Now. Dr. Light’s… I can’t imagine what he must be feeling. Gancena… you’re more than welcome to come back with us.”

 

\---

 

Mewtwo hovered behind Dr. Light after everyone else had gone chasing Dr. Wily. He stood, read what he could, and thought.

 

Too many of them had been foolish. If Dr. Light had just assembled a security system that took action, Dr. Wily would have been deterred. And Captain Gancena had spent too much time on theatrics, and she didn’t even bother to make use of her Rune Power. She hadn’t even stopped to make a plan; all she’d done was throw force at them—her usual tactic worked fine on Thoughtless, but not on living, thinking people.

 

But he could, at least, understand why Gancena had been chosen.

 

Dr. Light stood there, frozen and staring through the gaping wall in an almost dreamlike state. Anyone else would have said something specifically to comfort the good doctor.

 

Dr. Light moved as if to start running, and then Mewtwo spoke. _“That will do nothing but tire you.”_

 

“Rock and Roll are out there.”

 

_“They will be fine. When Gancena’s group is together, Thoughtless are easily quashed. And with his task complete, Wily won’t try anything else that they can’t handle.”_

 

Dr. Light backed up and seated himself on a worktable, letting his head hang low.

 

Mewtwo glanced at the damage. Glass and metal shards were everywhere. The others were lucky not to cut themselves on any of it. He telekinetically raised all the glass he could see and had it hover briefly over a waste bin before letting it fall almost musically.

 

When Mewtwo began to do the same with the metal, the others returned the way they came. Mewtwo continued his work.

 

“Dr. Light!” Rock and Roll called, running to him.

 

Dr. Light looked back up, eyes glossy, and sighed raggedly. “Rock! Roll!” He approached them slowly, arms open, and caught them as they went to him. “You’re both all right.”

 

“I’m sorry, Dr. Light,” Rock said. “He got away…”

 

“It’s not your fault. You did more than I could ever dare to ask.”

 

“We had to try,” Roll said. “We just had to… we couldn’t let anyone steal what you’ve worked on for so long...!”

 

“That… that doesn’t matter now,” Dr. Light managed, pulling away just enough to look at Rock and Roll. “When you two ran off after him like that, I was petrified. I don’t know what I would have done if he’d laid a hand on either of you.”

 

“But, Doctor…” Rock said, “He said he was going to use your robots to take over the world! Did he really mean it?”

 

“…He very well might, Rock.”

 

“Call the police,” Gancena reminded. “They need to know what happened.”

 

“Yes,” Dr. Light said. “They do need to know. They need to know our home was broken into…”

 

\---

 

When the call was done, Gancena scrambled to hide her Super Scope and the Pokémon. Mewtwo didn’t need to be told to make himself scarce.

 

“What are you doing?” Dr. Light asked once she’d attached the last Poké Ball to her belt.

 

“Whenever I can, I have to keep them secret from anyone who isn’t involved in my mission,” Gancena explained. “The police won’t understand.”

 

“Perhaps not, but they need to know everything we saw and did.”

 

“What if they take me in for questioning?” Gancena asked, brow knotting.

 

“They won’t,” Dr. Light said. “You’re not the subject of the investigation. Let your companions out.”

 

Gancena didn’t move.

 

“Trust me,” Dr. Light said, lowering his voice and taking a step closer. “You’ve done nothing they’d take you in for.”

 

Gancena sighed and undid her work, one Pokémon at a time.

 

The police came minutes later. Rock and Roll stood firmly by Dr. Light’s side the entire time.

 

Gancena’s head buzzed, preparing herself to answer difficult questions.

 

Officers definitely glanced at the Pokémon and widened their eyes, but they didn’t say anything to her or to them, only to each other. Gancena bit her lip.

 

The police laid tape across the destroyed wall. A detective lamented that much of the mess had already been cleaned up, and seemed equally baffled by how quickly that had been done. A perimeter was set up around the fallen Proto Eye.

 

Finally, officers took statements. One approached Gancena.

 

“Can you tell me what you know about what happened, ma’am?” they questioned.

 

Gancena swallowed, but reminded herself to simply be honest. She rehashed her story from the moment Haunter woke her up to the confrontation with the Proto Eye.

 

There were several detours in the questioning. When she mentioned the Thoughtless, she was stopped so that the sighting of “moving shadows” could be confirmed with the other statements. The officer didn’t seem to know what to make of it, but simply took her at her word.

 

When Gancena referred to the Pokémon as “my companions”, she was stopped again. The officers, it turned out, had assumed they were all seamless robotic creations of Dr. Light. Baffled and nervous, Gancena made it clear they had come with her.

 

Yet there were no further questions about what they were or where they came from.

 

When it was done, Gancena asked, “Wait. Aren’t you going to ask my companions for their sides of it?”

 

“…I’m sorry?”

 

“Ash, Floss, Biran, and Haunter,” she said. “They can communicate. They can speak. They can give statements, too.”

 

“I… I suppose we should.”

 

Even though the questioning officers were blown back once more by everyone’s ability to speak, they took their statements with the same level of professionalism.

 

Gancena couldn’t believe it. They weren’t questioning her situation. Just the crime.

 

When they left, Gancena let herself sink against the nearest wall. They’d barely given her or her friends a second glance. She’d had nothing to worry about. At least not yet…

 

Roll urged, “You should go back to sleep, Dr. Light.”

 

“As we all should,” Dr. Light agreed. He turned to Gancena. “I must thank you.”

 

Dr. Light addressing Gancena snapped her back into attention. “For what?”

 

“For trying to protect my home, my family, and my work, even though we’ve just met. I heard what Rock and Roll said about what you did after you gave chase.”

 

“Of course, Dr. Light,” Gancena said. “I couldn’t just stand by.”

 

“Please, continue to rest here,” he said, “for as long as you need. I’m sorry you had to get caught up in this.”

 

“It’s not your fault, but thank you. We should go back to sleep. So… good night, all.”

 

“Good night.”

 

As the Light family returned upstairs, Gancena gently lifted Ash, already nodding off, and asked, “Haunter?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“You think you can stay up?”

 

“Oh, absolutely. Sleep is more of a habit for me than anything. But I’m a very light sleeper for this exact reason. Never know what might happen in the middle of the night.”

 

“Then I have an assignment for you,” she said, beckoning him closer.

 

Haunter floated by Gancena’s shoulder. “What?”

 

“I don’t know how long it’ll be until Wily makes his next move, but I’m a bit worried it’ll be all too soon. Go to the TV, pick a news channel and keep an eye on it. If there’s news of rampaging robots, wake me and the others, then Rock and Roll, then Dr. Light. We’ll need to act quickly once the attack begins.”

 

“Do you happen to know where it’ll be?”

 

“Not entirely. It could be in the city next door or it could be more widespread. All I know is that it happens. And this is all I can really think to do about it. Once the Lights see what’s happening, the rest should work out.”

 

“Very well. I’ll do as you ask.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

“Good night. May you have plenty of time for sleep.”

 

“Good night, Haunter. I definitely hope so.”

 

\---

 

Gancena found it particularly difficult to sleep. Part of her kept an ear open for Haunter or even one of the Lights to open the door at any time with news of the attack.

 

She drifted constantly in and out of consciousness, opening her eyes occasionally to brighter and brighter windows.

 

Hours later, she gave up and got up.

 

As she began to descend the stairs, Haunter very nearly flew right into her.

 

“Captain!” he exclaimed.

 

“Is it happening?”

 

“Yes! I was just about to come wake you…”

 

“Change of plans: Wake the Lights first, then the others. I’m going to watch the report.”

 

Haunter zipped away as Gancena barreled downstairs, following the voice of the broadcaster.

 

_“…footage of what appears to be a robot attack happening downtown, already causing injuries and extensive damage to the city.”_

 

As the report continued, it was interspersed with footage of the Robot Masters: Cut Man tossing the scissors atop his head at a building, slicing it cleanly in two, Ice Man freezing roads over in a single breath, Fire Man setting his surroundings ablaze, Bomb Man juggling explosives before lobbing them, Elec Man causing a lightning storm atop a skyscraper, and Guts Man tossing parked cars at one another.

 

_“The origins of these robots are unclear, and they’re unlike anything seen in the public eye. They’ve already overwhelmed the city police and even the military is struggling to subdue them.”_

 

Gancena heard footsteps behind her and glanced over her shoulder in time to see Rock and Roll dash in, followed by Dr. Light with Haunter holding his arm. From behind him, Ash and Floss ran to Gancena’s side to see what the TV showed.

 

“Where’s Mewtwo?” Gancena asked.

 

Mewtwo teleported beside Gancena, startling her. _“Here.”_

 

“Geez—!”

 

_“Pay attention.”_

 

 _“So far, nobody has taken any responsibility or made any demands—“_ The report cut off, replaced briefly by static with a piercing buzz that make all the Pokémon save Mewtwo cover their ears, only to be replaced by the face of a laughing Dr. Wily.

 

He spoke:

 

 _“Good morning, world. It’s me, the brilliant scientist Dr. Albert William Wily. Don’t bother trying to adjust your broadcast, as I currently have total control of the airwaves… and soon, I will have total control of the world! Witness the might of my Robot Masters! Thanks to_ my _genius, they are unstoppable! Now… all I ask to stop the violence is for_ all _world leaders to hand over their authority to me and to recognize me as the greatest genius of all time! Otherwise I’ll take the world bit by ruined bit! It’s your choice.”_ He punctuated the end of his speech with a laugh even louder and more gleeful than the one that preceded it.

 

Rock shut off the TV.

 

“Sit down, Doctor,” Roll urged.

 

Dr. Light practically fell into a chair. “He really is going to do it…!”

 

“It’s okay, Dr. Light,” Roll said. “Everyone knows Wily’s behind it, so they’ll stop him.”

 

“I… I can’t be sure. The Robot Masters were built to be the new standard,” Dr. Light said. “And if Albert really modified them for combat, I’m not sure what can be done. Once he sets his mind to something, there’s no convincing him to stop.”

 

“B-Before you came in,” Gancena admitted, “the report said that the police were driven back, and the army may, too. I’m sorry.”

 

Dr. Light laid his head in his hands and began to weep.

 

Gancena winced and looked away, at a complete loss.

 

Roll immediately embraced her father, though her eyes also seemed glossy just before she laid her face on his back.

 

Ash felt tears begin to well up in her eyes, watching and hearing them, and she rubbed her eyes to keep from crying. Floss hugged her immediately.

 

Haunter floated closer to Dr. Light and Roll, eventually lowering himself to whisper reassurance.

 

Mewtwo only looked at Gancena, waiting for her to do something. When Gancena met his gaze, she looked away from everyone else, then towards the ceiling, trying to think…

 

Rock took it all in, thoughts racing. Something had to be done. The forces meant to protect the people couldn’t handle it. He ached to do something, anything, to help. Why couldn’t _he_ do something to stop the Robot Masters from continuing to destroy?

 

Something sparked in him.

 

Why _couldn’t_ he?

 

He looked to Dr. Light. If… If he built the Robot Masters… then they could take them down. Right!?

 

“I’ll go!” Rock declared.

 

Everyone’s attention snapped to him. He felt his core flare, seeing his father and sister still in tears.

 

“Rock? What do you mean?” Dr. Light managed.

 

“Something has to be done, Dr. Light. If the military can’t stop the Robot Masters, we need to try something else.”

 

Dr. Light managed to rise out of his seat. “Rock…”

 

“You built them, so surely you can make me into a robot that can bring them down! And we’re brothers from the same creator. I want to take responsibility for bringing them back!”

 

“Rock!” Roll exclaimed, closing the distance between them. “Are you saying you’re going to fight them!? Aren’t you scared you’ll get hurt!?”

 

“Of course I am… but if I can’t do something, who will?”

 

Gancena felt her heart beat. “I will,” she declared.

 

Then everyone’s attention went to her. “It’s exactly like I was telling Rock and Roll last night: I have a mission, but I also want to help. So no matter what, I have to go out there.”

 

“Then let me go with you!” Rock said. “Even if I have to go as I am!”

 

“Rock…!” Dr. Light said.

 

“Please, Dr. Light. I have to protect everyone.”

 

Dr. Light solemnly shut his eyes. “Rock, my boy… my son. You’re right. Something must be done. …And perhaps… perhaps we _are_ the only ones who can.” He clenched a fist. He couldn’t ask Rock to do this. But it had been Rock who asked _him_.

 

Even though Rock was modeled on a child, he was still meant to make decisions of his own. Of course Dr. Light had his own hopes for what kinds of choices Rock and Roll would make, but he also knew that many choices were simply out of his hands.

 

And this was what Rock had chosen.

 

He had to be there for his son.

 

Dr. Light opened his eyes, and they shone with a new vigor. “Then we must make the necessary preparations. We don’t have much time.”


	3. Mega Man Is Born

Gancena saw for herself exactly why Dr. Light was so renowned.

 

Without even pausing, he went into the lab, cleared the space he could, turned on a computer console, and immediately started creating blueprints. Nearly everyone else hovered around, watching him work. Biran had stayed in his Poké Ball all morning. Mewtwo hung back at the entrance to the lab, merely observing.

 

“I’m going to make sure you’re equipped with everything I can manage, Rock,” Dr. Light declared. “Your robotic body already makes you more durable than any human, but it won’t be enough. I’ll make you the best armor I can with the time we have. Ceratanium is the clear choice for material.”

 

“I’ve heard that name before,” Gancena remarked. “Ceratanium. Remind me…?”

 

“Ceramic titanium,” Rock supplied. “It’s an alloy Dr. Light developed years before Roll and I were built. It’s one of the hardest metals out there, but it can be shaped with a metal mill like ours.”

 

“Ah, yes, I do remember!” Gancena declared.

 

Dr. Light continued, “You’ll need a weapon of your own to subdue the Robot Masters.” Dr. Light paused briefly. “I believe one of the prototype Busters can be used. I simply need to confirm that it still works as intended. Then I’ll link it to your Variable Tool System for easy access. In fact… yes. Yes, that’s it!”

 

Dr. Light switched interfaces and opened the code of a program. “I’ll make you a Copy Chip based on your Variable Tool System. It will allow you to make use of the Robot Master’s abilities. It’ll be the exact edge we need.”

 

“You really think so, Dr. Light?” Rock asked, taking a closer look at the monitor.

 

“Yes. No robot is built perfectly. I constantly had to make decisions sacrificing one benefit in favor of another when I was designing, constructing, and programming each of them. I believe exploiting what was lost will be vital in subduing them.”

 

“How long do you think it’ll take?” Rock asked.

 

“Between programming, building, and installation, with all three of us working… I think we could get this done in less than twenty-four hours.”

 

“Wow,” Gancena said. “I’m not sure if I was expecting that to be longer or shorter.”

 

“Dr. Wily will still be able to attack while we’re working…” said Roll.

 

Dr. Light sighed. “We must do what we can.”

 

Gancena thought it over. The only thing she could think for her and her group to do, then, was go out there and attempt damage control—to keep things from getting worse. She said, “Haunter, could you monitor the news again and get a list of the places that are affected? If anything’s still out there that we can take care of, I’d like to try.”

 

“Right away, Captain,” Haunter said, floating away.

 

Floss stared after him. She turned to Gancena. _“May I join him?”_ she asked.

 

“Sure, you can,” Gancena answered, and Floss took off. “I just hope Mewtwo’s willing to Teleport us…” she added aloud.

 

 _“Can’t we just walk to the places?”_ Ash asked.

 

“This city’s bigger than most of the ones in Kanto. They’re not really… made for people to just walk across,” she explained.

 

“Gancena, before you do that,” Dr. Light started, turning to her.

 

“Yes?”

 

“I think I’d feel better if I at least tried to make you Ceratanium armor, too. If you can, please stay here until I can construct it.”

 

Gancena’s heart jumped. “Wait, Dr.—“

 

“If you’re going to help, you’ll need that edge, too.”

 

He was right. If a Robot Master attacked her directly, she’d be lucky to survive a single blow. She only had three lives, and eighteen other worlds to survive with them. “…Right. But Rock’s work takes priority, okay?” she said. “If it has to be only one of us, it has to be him.”

 

\---

 

Dr. Light only paused to change into proper lab attire and eat something. Then the work continued vigorously. During breakfast, Gancena also remained in the lab, and saw neither Haunter nor Floss. She let Biran out to eat but put him away soon after. It turned out that even in the confines of the Poké Ball, he’d still been aware of the general situation. Gancena wasn’t sure how that worked, but it was good to know.

 

After breakfast, Gancena could do nothing but take in the situation around her, either closely observing the work or perusing the books in Dr. Light’s lab. Biran’s Poké Ball was placed on the table next to her. Ash sat in her lap, asking questions about machinery that Gancena only sometimes knew the answer to. Mewtwo had vanished again, though she was quite sure he was nearby.

 

The metal mill was already beginning to shape blocks of dark blue Ceratanium into familiar armor while Dr. Light, Rock, and Roll performed tests with the Mega Buster in a more open space. Wind blew through the wall.

 

The bare Buster was nothing like Gancena imagined. It was a thin gray plasma cannon that almost resembled Gancena’s Super Scope. Part of the armor would be going over it. She sincerely hadn’t realized it before, but it made so much sense.

 

Haunter floated into the lab, Floss behind him, both their ears pricking in interest.

 

“Captain?” Haunter asked.

 

“Yes?”

 

“The Robot Masters have retreated. The news has moved on to other reports.”

 

“Have they?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Did you check national and global news outlets?”

 

“Yes, we have. Each has had their word on the attacks, but nothing else has happened.”

 

“All right. We’re going to keep working here. Keep me posted.”

 

“You’ll be working, too, Captain?”

 

Gancena realized what she’d said. “Well… maybe. If there’s nothing we can do out there, then… maybe there’ll be something here. I’m not sure.”

 

 _“You could ask,”_ Floss suggested.

 

“…Yeah, I could. Maybe when they stop for a second over there…”

 

Gancena watched the Buster tests continue for a moment before her eyes wandered to the monitor. The code for the Variable Tool System was still there.

 

She looked it over, seeing if she could make sense of any of the functions—or even try to guess what language it might be in.

 

She read the header of the window.

 

Variable Tool System-Master Copy.py

 

Gancena’s eyes widened and she looked at the syntax again.

 

This was Python, the first programming language she’d ever learned, and the only one she’d even partly understood how to use.

 

“Python is used for robotic functions!?” she exclaimed to herself.

 

“Come again?” Haunter asked as the noise from the Buster faded.

 

“I actually recognize this language, is all,” Gancena said. “I didn’t think someone like Dr. Light would be using it.”

 

“Python is a simple language,” Dr. Light responded, “but it’s very effective for certain types of programs. It fit the Variable Tool System well. And you said you’re familiar with it?”

 

“Uh… sort of,” Gancena said, looking back at the screen. “I mean, I was in basic programming classes for a year, but I was having trouble with it, so I switched to another major… My entire first semester was about Python, actually. I just, uh… never quite reached this level of mastery. Like, I wouldn’t be able to change a function without breaking it, probably.”

 

Dr. Light paused and decided to ask, “Could you copy that code into a new file?”

 

“Ah! Yes, I can. One second.”

 

Gancena then slipped into the chair. She opened the new file, highlighted the entire code for the Variable Tool System, and copied and pasted it into the new window.

 

“Would you like me to save it as anything?”

 

“For now, save it as ‘Weapon Code.’”

 

“Any preference on capitalization, spacing, or anything?”

 

“No. As long as it says ‘Weapon Code’, it’s fine.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Seconds later, the file was designated as Weapon Code.py.

 

Gancena swallowed and glanced at Dr. Light again. The Buster was completely shut off. He lifted his safety goggles to look up at Gancena.

 

“If I give you exact instructions on how to modify that code, then you should be able to do it, yes?”

 

“Would you like me to, Dr. Light?”

 

“I would. It could help to streamline our work,” he declared. “Rock, Roll, keep an eye on the mill and load it as needed. I’ll be working with Gancena for a moment,” he said.

 

“Okay, Dr. Light,” Rock and Roll said in unison.

 

Dr. Light went over to the monitor. “Let me see…”

 

Rock and Roll took positions at the metal mill, with Rock at its controls and Roll standing by the loading area.

 

The mill was shaping a large oval piece that would go over Rock’s forearm. This was where the Variable Tool System would connect with all of his new weaponry.

 

It was a strange and terrifying thought: his weaponry. Rock wasn’t about to go back on his word to defeat the Robot Masters to protect people, but he still hadn’t even dreamed that he would be getting equipped with a Buster cannon.

 

That Buster had been developed before Rock and Roll, and they hadn’t known about it for a long time after their activation. None of them had ever thought it would be used again, least of all Dr. Light.

 

Rock was going to become someone… something very different. So different, that he wasn’t even sure it would really be “Rock” wielding it.

 

\---

 

Within minutes, Dr. Light had categorized the different types of functions and explained to Gancena how they needed to be edited.

 

It was a simple task for her, once Dr. Light had verbally gone over the code. Some variables needed to be renamed, some if-else functions expanded, some recursions double-checked. Dr. Light had even renamed the file.

 

Variable-Weapons-System_Master-Copy.py

 

That was when Gancena knew they were getting somewhere.

 

\---

 

They worked the entire day and even deep, deep into the night. But the task was complete.

 

Rock now donned a light blue body suit for the dark blue armor to be placed on top of. It was installed almost ceremonially. Two huge knee-length boots more than double the size of his feet. Two forearm shields with thick gloves protecting and enhancing his hands, rounded to make room for the Mega Buster and any copied weapons.

 

A helmet, adorned with light blue. Gancena felt her breath hitch as that was put on.

 

The Mega Buster and the Variable Weapons System linked up immediately to Rock’s Variable Tool System.

 

“How do you feel, Rock?”

 

“Everything seems to be working as intended, Dr. Light,” he reported. “I know I volunteered, but this still seems so strange.”

 

“Change often is, my boy,” Dr. Light said, approaching him. “Never in my wildest thoughts did I imagine that you would one day be fighting. It’s not what I wanted for you, but I still couldn’t be prouder that you have the courage and determination to do the right thing.”

 

In a very similar manner to the Variable Tool System, Rock’s right hand pulled into his arm, shifting into the barrel of the Mega Buster. A power meter shone on the arm.

 

“I’ll make things right, Dr. Light,” he declared. “But this is a new form, so I’m going out there with a new name.”

 

“And what name will that be, my boy?”

 

“Well, my main weapon is called the Mega Buster, right? And the other night, Gancena accidentally called me Mega.”

 

Rock glanced at Gancena, who bashfully turned her head a bit.

 

Rock smiled. “So I’ll be… Mega Man.”

 

\---

 

Dr. Light tried to find the Robot Masters via signal chips he’d installed, but found nothing.

 

“Albert must have tampered with them, too,” he concluded. “If we can’t find the Robot Masters, we’ll probably have to wait for them to act again.”

 

“Then we should take some time to strategize,” Gancena suggested. “One second, actually.”

 

_Mewtwo?_

_Yes?_

_Please come here. I feel you should at least hear this in person._

 

A pause. _Very well._ Mewtwo Teleported back into the room.

 

“Thank you,” Gancena said aloud. “Now… Dr. Light, you said you’d had to make design choices when building each Robot Master, and that those would likely contribute to their weak and strong points, right?”

 

“That I did.”

 

Dr. Light closed the Robot Masters’ radar and instead pulled up each of their schematics, arranging the respective windows in a circle.

 

“Enough fire from the Mega Buster should be able to subdue any of the Robot Masters,” he deduced, “but if we use the Variable Weapons System effectively, we’ll be able to do so more quickly.”

 

“But right now, the Mega Buster is all Mega Man has,” Gancena said. “My first instinct would be to fight the Robot Master who was most vulnerable to it, copy their weapon, and then face the Robot Master who’s the weakest against it. Rinse and repeat.”

 

“I agree,” Dr. Light said, opening up more specific schematics—details regarding materials and construction. Dr. Light glanced over each of them and decided, “It appears Cut Man would last the shortest against an onslaught of plasma fire. If he’s the first to appear, it’d be very lucky for us.”

 

“Ha! Rock beats scissors!” Haunter chuckled.

 

Gancena perked. “ _Oh._ ”

 

Ash tilted her head. “Pika?”

 

“The Rolling Cutter works like a boomerang,” Dr. Light explained. “It returns to Cut Man even if he moves while it’s flying, and it should do the same for you, once you’ve acquired it. Furthermore, the shears are diamond-lined to be the sharpest blades they can be. Elec Man’s material is closer to a bodysuit over synthetic skin rather than a metal armor. He would no doubt be subdued quickly with just a few well-tossed Cutters.”

 

“Hey, is there something I can write on?” Gancena asked. “I’m sure Mega Man won’t have problems remembering, but I might… at any rate, it’ll be good to be sure.”

 

Dr. Light nudged a bit of scrap paper and two pencils toward Gancena. “Here you are. Do what you need to.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

Gancena began to make a list as Dr. Light continued: “Elec Man’s Thunder Beam would be best used on Ice Man. To help protect his components from freezing, I chose parts with the smallest circuitry available. This is why he’s the smallest of the Robot Masters, but more importantly, it makes all of his circuitry hyper-conductive. Thunder Beam should overwhelm him easily.”

 

“Then, the Ice Slasher… hmm.” Dr. Light paused and pulled up new schematics, regarding the original Ice Slasher. He compared it to the systems of the three unaddressed Robot Masters. Then, he opened up a schematic on Fire Man, regarding his internal combustion system. “He won’t see it coming,” he said aloud.

 

“Eh?” Gancena said.

 

“The Ice Slasher’s composition is actually capable of temporarily muffling fire—a thick enough layer could outright stop it for several seconds. Thus, the Ice Slasher would actually be best against Fire Man.”

 

“I’d think it’d be the other way around!” Haunter exclaimed. “What about Fire Man’s weapon against Ice Man?”

 

“It would also work—certainly, it’d work faster than the Mega Buster. But the Thunder Beam is even better against Ice Man.”

 

“How interesting… it seems typing works differently out here,” Haunter pondered aloud.

 

“It’s not exactly typing,” Gancena said. “It’s...” she couldn’t find the word she liked.

 

“The Fire Storm would be excellent at deterring Bomb Man, however. His Hyper Bomb has a significant range, but if you were to strike first, you could turn Bomb Man’s own abilities against him.”

 

“But it won’t destroy him, will it, Dr. Light?” Mega Man asked.

 

“None of these should, if you don’t intend to. Remember: we’re fighting to subdue the Robot Masters and bring them back so I can understand and undo Albert’s programming. Bomb Man was built to withstand his own explosions. The Fire Storm is meant to deter him from attacking more than anything.

 

“Guts Man is also built to withstand impact, but explosions would still do a fair amount of damage to him. The Hyper Bomb is your best chance against him.

 

“Then, lifting and throwing just about anything with Guts Man’s Super Arm would actually do well against Cut Man. Cut Man isn’t meant to take heavy impact.”

 

“So it loops back around,” Gancena remarked, drawing a long arrow from Guts Man at the bottom of her list to Cut Man at the top. “A wheel of weaknesses. A weakness wheel.”

 

“Wherever they attack, Mega Man,” Dr. Light continued, “I should be able to use the teleporter to get you as close as I can—within reason. I wouldn’t want to throw you in the middle of an enemy swarm.”

 

Mega Man nodded. “Right.”

 

“Does the teleporter work on humans?” Gancena asked.

 

Dr. Light suddenly stiffened. “I’m afraid not,” he said. “Oh, Gancena, I’m sorry. I’d thought of defenses but not transport. Human teleportation would be groundbreaking, but it’s something that simply hasn’t been done yet. I don’t think I can make it work for you under this sort of constraint.”

 

 _“Then… what do we do!?”_ Ash shouted.

 

“What we were thinking of doing before,” Gancena realized aloud. She turned her head toward the back of the room. “Mewtwo?”

 

 _“All I’ll be able to do is Teleport you in and out,”_ he responded.

 

“That’s all we need. So now what do we do?”

 

“Now, it’s just a matter of waiting and watching. But, since there’s time, Gancena, I believe I can start shaping your own armor.”

 

“Really? But it’s so late…”

 

“The mill will be doing most of the work. Compared to what we did, it’s nothing. I’ll just need a few measurements and we can start right away. Do you have any preferences?”

 

“Well, uh…” Gancena paused and glanced at the floor. Ash stared back up at her.

 

“Go on,” Dr. Light prompted.

 

Gancena looked back up, smiling. “…Can you make it purple?”


	4. A Real Cut-Up

Not. One.

 

Dr. Wily had awoken and immediately scoured all the encrypted communication channels he’d opened just for the world leaders. He’d received plenty of pleas for negotiation and several outraged refusals, and he’d expected some of both.

 

But over two hundred countries on the planet and not _one_ had yielded to him, even after the Robot Masters had demonstrated their power.

 

So be it.

 

He activated an intercom. “Robot Masters, report immediately. I have a new task for all of you.”

 

\---

 

Gancena had tried to stay up for the completion of her armor. She really had. But she couldn’t deny that the shaping took a while. An hour after it began, she found herself trying not to slump over in a chair. The Pokémon had long since retired to their room, save for Ash, who had fallen asleep in her lap, and Mewtwo, who had gone off elsewhere again.

 

It was adorable: Mega Man, still in his new armor, and Roll operated the mill. Dr. Light would have been there, but Roll was insistent that he get some rest after yet another busy night. He instead left the necessary data to them. Not long after, Roll said the same to Gancena. Gancena decided not to fight her or the sleepiness any longer. Mega Man shook her awake late in the morning.

 

“Come try your armor on,” he said.

 

Gancena gasped softly and flung the blankets off herself.

 

\---

 

It was a perfect fit. Compared to Mega Man’s armor, the parts were more oblong. She felt their weight sink on her. She held the helmet in her hands. On the sides were tiny switches that brought down a clear visor and up a mouth guard. She tested each of them, ultimately leaving the visor down. Then, she turned it and placed it on her head slowly, reveling in the secure snugness around her head. Her vision slightly tinted blue.

 

Gancena exhaled. “Thank you, Dr. Light.”

 

“It’s the least I could do, if you’re really going out there with Rock. If there’s time, I could even make some for your companions.”

 

“I wouldn’t need it,” Haunter immediately responded. “Most things go right through me, and even if they don’t, I’m not one to be kept down for long.”

 

Before Dr. Light could continue, his watch beeped urgently.

 

Gancena tensed. “Is that for us?” she asked.

 

“Yes. Just a moment…” He turned to the computer console and began opening programs and interfaces until a global map appeared with six locations marked.

 

“They’re all active,” Mega Man realized.

 

Dr. Light opened schematics for each of the Robot Masters and placed them next to their locations. “We can only make our move on one at a time—two at most, if Gancena’s comfortable.”

 

“It’d probably be best to stick together,” Gancena immediately said. “Wily came to the lab with Thoughtless. There’s bound to be more, and they’re going to make the Robot Masters worse…”

 

Dr. Light turned. “How so?”

 

“Just… in general. Thoughtless amplify any negativity they find. And if the Robot Masters are under Wily’s control, then they’re bound to be… destructive. Aggressive. Possibly cruel…”

 

“And yet…” Dr. Light paused, “the report says that Cut Man’s at the Limb and Barker logging plant in Ontario, Canada, but he hasn’t caused much damage. He and the robots there have simply driven all human workers out. Regardless, I’m going to determine the safest coordinates to place you, Mega Man.”

 

“Mewtwo,” Gancena said, “once they’re determined, can you teleport us to those same coordinates?”

 

_“I already said I would.”_

 

Gancena almost called to the Pokémon, but paused. Haunter would be fine; he’d just said so. But she wasn’t sure about bringing Ash, Floss, or Biran on this one… Each of their types of techniques could be so helpful, and she’d be carrying their Poké Balls in case things got too dangerous, but one false move…

 

They came anyway, Ash already taking up her usual position on Gancena’s shoulder. Gancena pet her almost automatically. Floss and Biran looked at her expectantly. _“What would you like us to do?”_ Floss asked.

 

“I admit I’m a little nervous about this one,” she finally said.

 

_“Why?”_

 

“Robots are made of metal. They don’t need as much effort to hit hard,” Gancena began. “And Cut Man’s Rolling Cutter is a very sharp weapon. If one of you got hit… it could be scary.”

 

 _“But that’s why you have apples and our Poké Balls, right?”_ Biran asked. _“In case something like that happens. But it might not! I’m fast enough to dodge lots of things, and I can even carry Floss and Ash if you’re more worried about them.”_

 

 _“I bet Biran’s fire will be super effective against robots!”_ Floss chimed in. _“And I have Cosmic Power to raise my defenses, which makes Stored Power stronger. And Metronome’s gotten us out of several jams!”_

 

Gancena turned it all over in her head. “All good points… but…”

 

 _“At least let us try, Captain. It’s why we’re here,”_ Floss finished. _“Of course it’s dangerous, but we want to do something, too.”_

 

 _“I’m not really scared of being hurt,”_ Biran added. _“I’m more worried about the rest of you. But I know you’ll look after me the way I’ll look after you, so everything will be okay!”_

 

Gancena sighed and smiled. “Fair enough. But it’s just like in all the dangerous places in Kanto: I want you all close whenever possible. If it gets dangerous, I’m putting you in your Ball. Okay?”

 

Floss held up her fists and Biran nodded sharply. _“Yes, Captain!”_

 

Gancena put her hand on Ash’s head. “This goes for you, too, miss. Understood?”

 

Ash nodded. _“Yes, Gancena!”_

 

\---

 

Mega Man arrived in a beam of light at the border of a forest of tall trees and a complex of buildings and machinery just within the biggest property owned by the Limb and Barker Lumber and Wood Material Corporation. Gancena appeared at his side in a flash a second later, Ash clinging to her shoulder, Haunter floating nearby, Biran at her other side, and Floss on his back.

 

The immediate sight was many long conveyor belts carrying logs, sorting them into batches. Various single-storied buildings dotted the area. One batch of logs remaining on a chute was fed into the side of the closest one, where saws continually whirred.

 

“I see now,” Haunter remarked. “They drove out the workers to use the plant themselves, it seems.”

 

“No matter what they do with it, we need to get it back from Wily’s control,” Mega Man said. He shifted his right arm into the Mega Buster. “Ready?”

 

Gancena pulled out and opened her Scope. “As I’ll ever be. Guys?”

 

Biran, Ash, and Haunter nodded, humming affirmatives. Floss gave a thumbs-up.

 

They proceeded to the first building, entering through the front door to a reception area. The sounds of the saws were greatly muffled. The next room was lined with sets of safety equipment and uniforms. The room afterwards was a gaping mass of machines and smaller robots. The sounds of the saws were at their strongest there.

 

Watching the machines work was a single robot, humanoid in design, with a round red-orange head topped with sharp silver shears. His bodysuit, remarkably similar to Mega Man’s, was white, and his armored limbs matched his head.

 

Gancena tapped Biran and pointed, making sure all of the Pokémon could see. “That’s him,” she mouthed.

 

The last log of the batch entered the assembly line. When it had gone through the debarker and there was only an empty whirring, the robot said, “Not a bad gig, actually, if we weren’t already doing something. I bet I could figure out how to cut the log up myself. All I’d have to do was watch—”

 

“Cut Man!” Mega Man called, lowering his Buster.

 

Cut Man turned, big blue eyes focusing on Mega Man. “Who the heck are you?”

 

“I’m Mega Man,” he declared. “And I’m here to take you back, Cut Man.”

 

“Back where?”

 

“Back home to Dr. Light so he can fix you!”

 

“Fix me?” Cut Man sputtered and laughed. “Dr. Wily already fixed me! He made me see that he’s the only human who’s not weak and stupid. He’s the only one fit to rule the world.”

 

“Cut Man, stop that! You’re a robot of Dr. Light. You’re my brother!”

 

Cut Man put his hands on his hips. “Now what are you talking about? What’s a ‘brother’?”

 

“We have the same creator, don’t we!? That makes Dr. Light like a parent to us! And when two humans have the same parent, that makes them siblings, and if a sibling is a boy, then he’s a brother!”

 

“Why are you applying a stupid human concept to us?” Cut Man said, scoffing.

 

“Dr. Light wanted us to be like humans,” Mega Man said.

 

“Well, we’re not! Humans are Dr. Wily’s to control, just as these robots are mine!” Cut Man snapped his fingers. “Bunby Helis! Sic ‘em!”

 

At that, multiple small robots topped with propellers turned towards Mega Man and Gancena and charged. Cut Man leaped from his position and sprinted away.

 

“Cut Man!” Mega Man called, only to be swarmed upon by a pair of Helis.

 

He aimed and fired rapidly at one. Each shot of the Mega Buster stunned the Bunby Heli, and the third was enough to break it apart. Mega Man had to leap away from the second to regain some distance before repeating the process.

 

Gancena had beaten one and was trying to fire at another when Ash gave it a solid Thundershock. The Bunby Heli’s eyes flickered and its propeller completely stopped. It fell to the ground, cracking open.

 

By then, Cut Man was clear on the other side of the room.

 

“Cut Man!” Mega Man called again.

 

“Haunter, fly ahead!” Gancena said. “Keep sight of him!”

 

“Right away!” Haunter said.

 

Right behind Haunter, another, more numerous group of Bunby Helis flew up and charged.

 

“Ash and Biran, Thunderbolt and Flamethrower. Floss, start building up your Cosmic Power!”

 

Ash and Biran did as they were told and caught many Helis in their initial attack. From her position on Biran’s back, Floss began to focus and gently glowed gold and purple. The rest of the Helis were downed easily with some Scope and Buster fire.

 

Once the Helis were clear, the group continued quickly, trailing along the sawmill line, where the stripped logs were being raised into a new chute.

 

In the next room waited a batch of tiny, almost bug-like robots. Then they began to leap.

 

“Flamethrower!” Gancena called, and Biran caught them all

 

Batches of planks came out of the other end of the saw. All their waste was collected onto another chute below. Under the cover of all the noise, rounded silver shears sprang out from inside the sawing chamber.

 

With a whinny, Biran leaped out of the way of the shears, taking Floss safely with him. Mega Man called to Gancena. “Look out!”

 

Gancena looked and only ended up with two shears grazing her armor sharply before falling to the ground. Mega Man tried to fire at the shears, but they did not move, and he ended up rolling out of the way of the rest. Gancena squeezed Ash to her chest and moved out of range.

 

“That’s it!” Gancena said, holding Ash in the direction of the machine. “Ash, Thunder Wave!”

 

Ash released the paralyzing pulses, and the entire mechanism stuttered, moving partway before resetting itself. No more shears came out.

 

“Yes,” Gancena said. “Let’s get out of here.” They darted away from the sawing machine, heading for a door that led back outside. There, the planks were being loaded onto trailers by small red robots with giant suction cups. A fully loaded trailer began to back the logs towards a giant kiln.

 

Ahead, the dark speck of Haunter continued floating after Cut Man, firing Shadow Balls intermittently. Gancena stared a second longer and realized he wasn’t the only dark speck up there. Haunter didn’t seem to notice them.

 

Having a pause in their task, the little red robots began to fly after Mega Man, Ash, Biran, Floss, and Gancena.

 

Gancena released Ash, Floss jumped off Biran’s back, and everyone began to fire at the suction cup robots, each of which took several hits before crashing and exploding. Any caught in the Pokémon attacks took less time to subdue, overwhelmed by electricity, heat, or psychic waves overwhelming their systems.

 

The adhering robots continued to come out from beside the kilns in small waves as the group crossed to catch up to Haunter and Cut Man. Then the Thoughtless Gancena had spotted came streaming towards them.

 

“Incoming!” Gancena shouted, changing her aim. It was harder to aim at the Thoughtless until they came close. Mega Man had better aim, but their attention was split between the two types of enemies.

 

A powerful Moonblast from Floss swept over the Thoughtless, forcing their remains to merge to maintain themselves. Ash then caught it in a Thunderbolt, giving Gancena and Mega Man an opening to deal with the robots.

 

One managed to ram into Gancena, knocking her to the ground.

 

Ash stopped her attack. “Pika-pika!”

 

“Keep going, Ash!” Gancena immediately called, pointing. Biran rammed into the robot that had hit Gancena, rearing back to knock it down and Stomp it. Then Haunter swooped in to finish off the Thoughtless with a Hex attack, which manifested as a dark cloud that struck the Thoughtless multiple times. It withered away almost instantly.

 

“Oh, excellent!” Haunter remarked before flying over Gancena. “Are you all right, Captain?”

 

“Yeah,” she said, getting up. “Is everything all right?”

 

“There’s a Skullker on the other side of this area,” Haunter said, pointing. “I think he’s headed there. I would have continued on, but I wasn’t going to leave you to those Thoughtless.”

 

“Thank you,” Gancena said. “You did the right thing. Let’s keep moving!”

 

Steam continually rose from the active ovens. At the other end of the kilns, some of the suction cup robots were preoccupied with hauling loads of dried planks into the side of a different building.

 

Cut Man wasn’t in the first room of that part of the plant, where planks would go through a planer machine to gain their smooth finish. Instead, everyone was confronted by wall-mounted turrets that only opened up their shells to fire three times.

 

“Watch out!” Mega Man called. The group scattered for cover. Biran backtracked to the entryway, letting the wall shield him. Haunter darted up to the ceiling. Mega Man ducked under the opposite side of the machine from Gancena, Ash, and Floss.

 

Ash managed to wriggle out of Gancena’s grasp and, despite her voiced worries, attempted to shock one of them as they closed. Nothing seemed to happen.

 

“Wait, I remember these!” Gancena suddenly said. “We need to fire at them while they’re open!”

 

“Got it!” Mega Man called. Closer to the ceiling, Haunter prepared a Shadow Ball.

 

The turrets opened up again, and their fire was more than returned. One by one they exploded, their cannons falling off and their shells hanging open. The group moved forward immediately.

 

More lined the next room, where the planks were stacked again into uniform blocks. As the group prepared to fire, Mega Man saw Cut Man giving orders to one last large robot that resembled the Proto Eye Wily had left when the lab was attacked. Two Thoughtless hovered by it. Once finished, Cut Man glanced over the assembly line again and ran back outside.

 

The turrets opened and fired. The group countered them easily.

 

Mega Man pointed in the direction of the Eye robot and said, “Cut Man went that way!”

 

“Past the Big Eye?” Gancena asked.

 

“Yeah!”

 

The area the Big Eye guarded was narrow. There’d be no way around it without engaging it. But it was the Thoughtless that moved first.

 

Ash caught the Thoughtless in a Thunderbolt, but the Big Eye was free to approach, bouncing faster than the Proto Eye before it.

 

Then an idea struck Gancena, and she began to give commands. “Biran, use Flamethrower on the Thoughtless!”

 

Biran did so, and Gancena continued, “Ash, Thunder Wave on the Big Eye!”

 

“Pika!” Ash chirped, eyes shining in understanding. She unleashed Thunder Wave and forced the Big Eye to stop moving.

 

“Now! Floss, Stored Power, and Haunter, Hex!”

 

“Yes, Captain!” Haunter exclaimed. Floss looked over to Haunter, nodded, and the two made their move, Floss’ Stored Power a bright gold wave that surged from her and Haunter’s Hex a dark indigo cloud.

 

Mega Man briefly watched the combination in awe before joining Gancena in firing at the remains of the Thoughtless. Once they dissipated, Biran stopped his attack and the Big Eye began to smoke and spark until it tilted forward, dropping an outer panel, and falling back with a crash.

 

Ash and Floss briefly cheered.

 

“That was great, guys,” Gancena praised. “Now let’s get to Cut Man! We don’t want him to board that Skullker!”

 

Floss immediately leaped back onto Biran at that, and he and Ash charged forward, Haunter, Gancena, and Mega Man on their heels.

 

They made it outside in time to catch several more adhering robots guiding the wrapped load of planks into a Skullker that was longer than the one that took the Robot Masters. Biran and Ash stopped to await Gancena. They watched the adhering robots let go once some of the soldier-like robots within took over and pushed it snugly inside.

 

“Now go, go!” Cut Man shouted. “Get it back to Wily Castle before they get here and cut off production!”

 

“Wood for Wily?” Gancena asked once she was in earshot, prompting Cut Man to turn around. “What for?”

 

Cut Man scowled as the Skullker’s hatch closed. “For the nunofya.”

 

“Nunofya?” Mega Man asked.

 

“Yeah. The none of your business!” Cut Man shouted, whipping the Rolling Cutter off his head. Almost instantly, another one appeared atop his head, and he grabbed that one, too, before tossing one each at Mega Man and Gancena.

 

“Yipe!” Gancena called, falling flat to let the Rolling Cutter fly harmlessly above her. Mega Man rolled out of the way of the Cutter aimed at him and fired twice at Cut Man.

 

Cut Man was hit with both shots of the Mega Buster, shoving him to the ground. He leaped back up, snarling.

 

Instead of trying to attack, Gancena glanced behind her, and the Rolling Cutter had changed course, spinning towards her. She rolled rapidly away, letting the Cutter graze the ground.

 

Mega Man heard the Cutter behind him and ducked as much as he could, barely dodging.

 

Cut Man jumped and weaved around several shots of Flamethrower and Thunderbolt before calling, “Adhering Suzies, back me up!” The adhering robots came rushing forward.

 

“Them first!” Gancena called. “Do what you have to, but watch out for flying Cutters!”

 

“Right!” Haunter called, immediately using Night Shade. The others continued to use their usual techniques to stop and short out the Suzies, leaving Mega Man and Gancena free to continue attacking Cut Man.

 

“Dang it!” Cut Man snarled, holding his Rolling Cutters behind him. Then two Thoughtless seeped out of the ground and sunk themselves into the Rolling Cutters. “ _This_ should cut you all down to size!” he yelled, throwing them.

 

Gancena turned towards the Pokemon. “Look out!” she yelled.

 

Everyone stopped attacking to watch the Cutters fly. Floss and Ash leaped onto Biran so he would ride and leap away, and Haunter let one phase through him. But the Cutters began to take turns that would have normally been physically impossible, and everyone found themselves focusing on dodging.

 

Mega Man tried to think. With both his Rolling Cutters deployed, Cut Man was wide open. But Gancena and her Pokemon wouldn’t be able to dodge the Cutters forever. Mega Man fired at the Cutters, garnering the attention of the Thoughtless but not slowing them down one bit. They instead flew towards him. He jumped and rolled and swerved between them multiple times until one managed to sharply fly across his back, knocking him forward.

 

Cut Man guffawed. “Oh, what a _shear_ delight!”

 

“Mega!” Gancena exclaimed. “Biran, Flamethrower!”

 

Biran charged in Mega Man’s direction, inhaled deeply, and blew, engulfing the Cutters briefly in heat. They turned in mid-air again, changing targets. Floss and Ash gasped, but Biran didn’t stop his attack.

 

“Hold on!” Haunter called from above. He then opened his mouth wide, reached a hand inside, and pulled out a thick envelope. He reached into it and pulled out two paper amulets. “Biran, I need you to stop your fire and dodge!” he yelled.

 

Biran did so and leaped out of the way of one, but the other cut across his side as he did so. He let out a startled whinny as he hit the ground, dislodging Ash and Floss.

 

 _“Biran!”_ Gancena cried out.

 

“No!” Mega Man called.

 

“How… _dare_ you!” Haunter shouted, tossing one amulet at each imbued Cutter. With satisfying slaps, the amulets hit their marks. Each shear stopped suddenly and fell to the ground. The Thoughtless within wriggled out slowly. Haunter immediately engulfed them in a Night Shade.

 

Gancena sprinted for Biran, staring the bleeding cut on his side. Her legs turned to jelly as she kneeled by him and shakily slipped her backpack off. He huffed, gritted his teeth, and shut his eyes tightly.

 

“Pipika!” Ash said aloud.

 

 _“Biran, hold on! Gancena’s right here!”_ Floss said, putting her hands on his neck.

 

“I’ll be fine. It hurts now, but I’ll be fine!” he said. “Get Cut Man!”

 

Gancena glanced over her shoulder to see Cut Man running towards his fallen weapons and Mega Man running forward and firing to meet him. Cut Man was knocked back by a shot from the Mega Buster.

 

“…Ash, back Mega and Haunter up by shocking those Cutters. I’ve got Biran. Floss, guard me.”

 

Ash briefly touched her head to Biran’s before running off. Floss said, “Yes, Captain!” and stood before her, eyes on the battle.

 

“Dang it! Cutting people off is my job!” Cut Man snarled. He nearly reached for one Cutter before it and the Thoughtless were encased in a Thunderbolt, and a spark from it struck him, causing him to jump back and shake his hand as if burnt. “Ow!”

 

Mega Man took the time to aim and focus. He held his shot, letting the Mega Buster build up plasma power before letting it fly straight at Cut Man. With a startled cry, he was knocked several feet backwards and landed hard. He did not get up.

 

Haunter and Ash calmed their attack seconds later, making sure the Thoughtless were snubbed out.

 

Gancena cupped an apple in both hands and held it before Biran. “Can you eat?” Biran opened his eyes. “Biran, eat. Come on. Please.”

 

Biran inhaled and bit down sharply on the apple, taking nearly half of it in one bite. He sighed as he chewed, relaxing visibly. Gancena placed her hand near the cut and could literally feel it closing up. Gancena blinked, feeling tears fall. She didn’t take her hands off him even after he finished and the wound closed up. All that remained was a frightening swath of blood.

 

“…Okay?” Gancena asked.

 

Biran shifted carefully onto his stomach. _“Okay,”_ he managed, nodding.

 

Gancena lunged over to his head and hugged it close to her, breathing deeply. She turned her head to survey the area. Cut Man was down. His Rolling Cutters were firmly in the ground. The other robots were down. There weren’t any more Thoughtless.

 

 _“Biran!”_ Ash called, running back, nuzzling his head, licking his face, occasionally staring at the blood.

 

She sighed and watched Mega Man approach. “Is Biran okay?”

 

Gancena nodded. “Yeah. Thank you.”

 

Mega Man nodded, smiling, before turning to look at Cut Man. Cut Man’s bodysuit was ripped up, revealing the metal underneath. The top of his head was bare. His eyes were closed. But nothing was smoking or sparking.

 

Mega Man felt… awful. There was no other way to put it. Every part of him felt physically stressed and the guilt and fear of seeing Biran get hurt was like a stone in his stomach. This wasn’t how he was supposed to meet his brother. Nothing was supposed to be like that.

 

Mega Man approached Cut Man slowly, allowing his Mega Buster to revert to his default hand. He internally activated his Copy Chip.

 

Gancena and the Pokémon watched him carefully, all gathered around Biran.

 

Mega Man crouched by Cut Man and laid his hand on Cut Man’s arm. He could feel small jolts of electricity flowing from his hand to Cut Man’s arm until they all centered at the point of contact and rushed back. When they returned, the programming for the Rolling Cutter embedded itself into Mega Man’s Variable Weapons System.

 

He pulled his arm away and allowed it to switch him to his newly acquired weapon. As it did, his bodysuit turned white and his armor turned light gray. A hologram of a set of Rolling Cutter shears appeared just by the palm of his hand before solidifying and manifesting.

 

Mega Man held up the Rolling Cutter and assessed himself. Physically, he felt fine, but his thoughts couldn’t seem to settle. First the Mega Buster, now the Rolling Cutter. He was equipped with two weapons, both of which would now be used in the continuing fight.

 

Gancena touched her forehead to Biran’s before slowly standing to approach Mega Man. She wasn’t sure what to say at first, but she finally managed, “Thank you.”

 

Mega Man looked at her. “You’d already said that… but… for what?”

 

“I… I’m not sure. But you did help protect Biran by going after Cut Man. …Are we ready to return?"

 

Mega Man realized that there was a definite benefit to the enhanced strength and speed of his combat body, and it had proven important. The proof was in the safety of Gancena and her comrades... even… even if he hadn’t done it perfectly.

 

 _It could have gone so much worse,_ he reminded himself.

 

“Yeah,” Mega Man finally answered. He switched his Variable Weapons System to his default state. The Rolling Cutter in his hand disappeared. His suit and armor returned to blue. “I’ll contact Dr. Light so we can go back."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Renewing my resolution this year. Ta-da~


	5. Energize

The number of signals suddenly dropped from six to five, catching Dr. Wily’s attention. He quickly scanned over the radar. Cut Man had gone offline.

 

A temporary lapse? Perhaps. He decided to reset the receiver, but the signal didn’t return. Then it was likely on Cut Man’s end.

 

Dr. Wily let himself be busied with the data streams from the other Robot Masters for a few minutes, glancing at Cut Man’s empty feed occasionally. He was pleased to see that Elec Man’s redirection of power to the fortress was going well, but soon it was clear that Cut Man’s signal wasn’t coming back.

 

Something wasn’t right.

 

“Break Man,” Dr. Wily called.

 

Out of the shadows stepped a gray robot in red armor, his face completely obscured by a helmet with a visor and mouth guard. “Yes?”

 

“Cut Man’s signal disappeared. I’m sending you to his last known position to investigate. If there’s a problem, deal with it. Then report back to me in person.”

 

“Yes, Dr. Wily,” Break Man said, heading in the direction of the teleporter.

 

Once Break Man was settled, Dr. Wily programmed the coordinates, and Break Man vanished in a blink.

 

\---

 

Everyone was brought back to Light Labs safely and successfully. Mega Man supported the inert Cut Man.

 

Roll approached them quickly. “Is everyone—what happened to Biran!?” she asked.

 

“Cut Man landed a blow,” Gancena said. “He’s okay now; he just needs to be cleaned up.”

 

“There’s blood!” Roll exclaimed, stepping closer. “Where’s the… where’s the cut?”

 

“It’s exactly like I said: He’s fine now. Help your brother with Cut Man, okay?”

 

Roll hesitated but she moved to support Cut Man’s other side. She and Mega Man pulled him in the direction of a work table.

 

Dr. Light approached Biran, examining where the wound was. “You’re sure he’s all right?”

 

 _“I am, Dr. Light,”_ Biran said. _“Gancena gave me an apple as soon as she could, so it healed right away. Now it just_ looks _bad.”_

 

“Is an apple really enough for you?” he asked.

 

“One of mine is,” Gancena answered. “Selene made it so.”

 

“Is this the only major injury among you?” he asked.

 

“I think so,” Gancena answered. “Mega Man, how are you feeling? You got a little scratched up, too.”

 

Mega Man and Roll carefully lay Cut Man down. “I don’t need any repairs. But Cut Man does.”

 

“You brought him back in remarkably good condition, under the circumstances,” Dr. Light praised. “Now I can better determine what Albert’s done.” Dr. Light immediately headed to the computer console attached to the worktable.

 

Gancena took a seat and a deep breath. She was still reeling. She’d already stared a gang boss in the face, survived explosions, broken a limb, but this… this was different. This battle was raw and rough and could have killed any of them easily. And there were five more Robot Masters plus whatever Wily would no doubt have up his sleeve—

 

“A-ha!” Dr. Light exclaimed. “I’ve found it.”

 

Everyone save Mewtwo approached the worktable immediately, peering into Cut Man’s open chest panel. Dr. Light had circuitry tongs pointed at a conspicuously dark chip emblazoned with a “W”.

 

“So that’s how he did it,” Gancena sighed.

 

Dr. Light grabbed the edge of the chip with the tongs and pulled firmly, removing the chip with a snap. He pulled it closer to him to examine it.

 

“If I can—”

 

The chip suddenly shattered, and a huge Thoughtless reared itself. Gancena and Mega Man both reached instinctively to pull Dr. Light away from it.

 

“Get it!” Gancena called. Ash and Biran already began their Thunderbolt and Flamethrower attacks while Haunter used Night Shade and Floss had herself build Cosmic Power.

 

Despite the onslaught, the Thoughtless twisted and contorted vaguely into the shape of Cut Man, though this form was thin-limbed and gangly and had shears for hands as well as on its head.

 

Gancena stood before Dr. Light and charged a shot before firing. The head of the Thoughtless pulled away before it redistributed itself to retake its form.

 

Then Floss unleashed her Stored Power, and it shook back into its original form before slowly fizzling out.

 

Gancena kept aiming at it. When nothing else happened, she took a deep breath and glanced at the floor. There were still bits of the shattered chip, but nothing else.

 

She put her Scope away, kneeled to the floor, and gathered them, placing them all in one hand. She stood and presented the fragments to Dr. Light. “I don’t know if you can do anything else with these, but here they are anyway.”

 

Dr. Light cupped his hand, and Gancena poured them in. “Thank you. I’ll see what I can do after Cut Man is repaired.” He laid them out piece by piece on a separate desk and turned back to Cut Man. “The damage done was mostly superficial, so it should only be a few hours at most.”

 

“What should we do in the meantime, Dr. Light?” Mega Man asked.

 

“Rest for a moment. You’ve earned it.”

 

\---

 

Gancena did indeed want to rest, but Biran was still bloodstained. And though it was clear Biran feared water, the only thing Gancena could think to do was ask permission to use the garden hose and rinse him off.

 

Wanting to let Mega Man take a break, Gancena asked Roll. She not only directed Gancena to the hose but volunteered to help. Ash and Floss stood nearby, watching. Haunter opted to stay inside and at least try to assist Dr. Light in Mega’s stead. Biran himself kept in place until Gancena began testing the spray settings.

 

Then he whinnied loudly and jumped, shouting, _“Captain, are we using that on_ me _!?”_

 

Gancena dropped the hose and ran to Biran, holding her hands up. “Easy, Biran, easy! I don’t have it anymore!”

 

Biran stayed aground, but was still, gazing beyond Gancena at the hose.

 

“Okay, so that’s not gonna do it.”

 

“So can water put his flames out?” Roll asked, approaching.

 

“Sort of. Water is a Fire-type’s weakness regardless, but Biran got knocked over by a strong ocean wave shortly after I started my journey. As far as I can tell, he’s basically been scared of water since.”

 

Biran sighed and hung his head. _“That’s about right… Sorry, Captain.”_

 

Gancena placed her hand between his shoulders and stroked down his neck. “It’s not your fault. Sometimes we can’t help what we fear. We just gotta figure something else out.”

 

“Maybe we could just sponge it off,” Roll suggested.

 

Biran and Gancena looked at her. Biran titled his head inquisitively. “A sponge bath?” Gancena said.

 

“Mm-hm. That way we don’t have to spray him, and we can dry him off with a towel as soon as he’s clean.” Roll looked at Biran, smiling and matching his head tilt. “Does that sound better, Biran?”

 

Biran’s ears twitched. He looked at Gancena. _“I’ll try. Just… be careful, please.”_

 

“He’ll try. But we need to be careful.”

 

“Not a problem.”

 

\---

 

 _“So how is this going to work, exactly?”_ Biran asked as Roll filled a bucket with water and soap.

 

“Roll’s gonna soak that, wring most of the water out, and just gently scrub the blood off. You’re not gonna get water poured on you or anything. It’s completely under control.”

 

 _“You’re sure?”_ he asked, looking up at Gancena.

 

“Yeah. In fact, Roll will probably have finer control over the whole thing than me.”

 

Biran drew his legs back as Roll approached with the sudsy bucket, placing it a few feet away. She reached in, pulled out a big sponge, and squeezed it several times. Biran stared at it.

 

“Hey, actually, I have an extra idea,” Gancena said. She looked at Ash and Floss. “Hey, could one of you get Haunter, please?”

 

 _“I’ll do it!”_ Floss said, nodding before turning and running off. Ash watched her go.

 

 _“Captain?”_ Biran asked.

 

“How would you feel about sleeping through all this?” Gancena asked.

 

Biran sighed and finally relaxed. _“Heavenly… So you’re going to have Haunter use Hypnosis on me?”_

 

“If that’s all right with you?”

 

 _“Yes,”_ Biran said, lying completely flat on the grass.

 

“Hello?” Haunter called, floating closer. “Did you need me, Captain?”

 

“Yes. I’d like you to use Hypnosis on Biran, please, so he doesn’t have to worry about anything.”

 

“An excellent idea, Captain.” He floated down to Biran’s level. “You might want to scoot away so you don’t get drowsy.”

 

“Okay.” Gancena leaned down and kissed Biran’s head, near his ear. “You’re going to be fine. Good job, Biran.”

 

Biran smiled. _“Thank you, Captain.”_

 

Gancena stood back and Haunter moved his hands rhythmically in front of Biran. Biran shut his eyes immediately, and after a moment, Haunter stopped, declaring, “He’s asleep. Do what you need to.”

 

“Thank you, Haunter,” Gancena said. “Do you mind keeping an eye on him? Just in case he wakes up suddenly.”

 

“Of course,” Haunter said, clasping his hands.

 

“Okay, here we go…” Roll said. She carefully touched the sponge to the top of the stain, where the wound had been. She gently began to scrub, and the blood started to come out.

 

Gancena watched red droplets roll down his body and onto the ground. She swallowed and tried not to think about it. Instead she glanced at Roll and realized that she had returned to a familiar position: her head was full of questions but she didn’t actually know what they were.

 

But Roll beat her to the punch. “It must be nice to understand what they’re saying,” she said.

 

“Yeah. But it’s only been like that since Mewtwo came along,” Gancena said. “He hoped that it would ease communication. And it has. It’s just too bad you and Rock can’t hear them.”

 

“How long have you been traveling between worlds?”

 

“Only a few weeks, actually.”

 

“Weeks!” Roll said. “But you and your friends seem like you’ve been together for much longer.”

 

“When Pokémon and their Trainers get on well, that’s how it feels,” Gancena remarked, smiling. “Do you need any help with that?”

 

“No, it’s fine. You and Haunter can keep watching him if you want.”

 

Gancena decided to lie stomach down on the grass nearby, still looking at Roll. Gancena immediately heard Ash approach, and she copied Gancena.

 

“Pika,” she said.

 

“Hi,” Gancena responded, smiling.

 

“So was all that time spent in their homeworld?” Roll asked.

 

“Yeah. I didn’t even know where the Runestone was until the very end. At least this time I know.”

 

Roll glanced at her. “Are you scared at all?”

 

Gancena swallowed. “Yeah. I’m still pretty new to all this action. But I’m definitely more scared for others than I am of getting hurt.” Gancena decided to add, “Is that what it’s like for you?”

 

Roll sighed and smiled sadly. “Yeah. When Rock said he would go out there with you, I felt like part of me had been ripped open. But whatever I feel, it must be small compared to what Dr. Light feels… I’m still worried. I don’t think I’ll ever stop worrying until everyone’s back home and Dr. Wily’s caught.”

 

Gancena didn’t know what to say except: “I’m sorry.”

 

“It’s not your fault,” said Roll.

 

Gancena looked at the wet patch of grass by Biran’s belly. “No. Nor Rock’s, nor yours, nor Dr. Light’s. It’s Wily’s.”

 

\---

 

“Can I help you at all, Dr. Light?” Mega Man asked some time after Haunter had left.

 

Dr. Light paused and sighed. “I’d rather you continue to rest. We don’t know how soon it’ll be until another Robot Master makes a major attack.”

 

Mega Man glanced away as Dr. Light continued Cut Man’s repairs. “It’s just…”

 

“Just what, Rock?”

 

“…Cut Man’s injuries are mostly thanks to me. I feel like I should help him.”

 

“You’ve already helped him in the best possible way by bringing him home. Nothing else that happened was your fault.”

 

Mega Man thought about it and quickly realized Dr. Light was right. There was no way for any of them to know what Dr. Wily had been planning, and everyone, including Gancena and her friends, had stood their ground against him.

 

Nothing bad would have happened if it weren’t for Dr. Wily. Mega Man slightly clenched his fists.

 

\---

 

Hours later, Cut Man slowly opened his eyes. He hadn’t seen this place before, and yet he knew he recognized it. He glanced around at the other occupants. He’d seen Mega Man and all his friends before. He recognized them. He hadn’t seen Roll before, but she was just as familiar. His eyes settled on Dr. Light. The one who could help him. “Dr. Light?” he asked, feeling detached from his own voice.

 

“Are you all right, Cut Man?” Dr. Light asked.

 

Cut Man paused. “I think so.” He sat up slowly.

 

“Easy,” Dr. Light prompted. “You fought fiercely.”

 

Cut Man’s eyes widened. “I did, didn’t I?” He looked at Mega Man. “Oh, no. Mega Man, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean—“

 

“Cut Man,” Mega Man responded, holding out a hand. “If there’s anyone here who needs an apology, it’s Biran.”

 

Cut Man looked over Mega Man’s friends again. He wasn’t sure which one he was referring to, but then the reason Mega Man would say that dawned on him. “Oh, no, no, no, did I hurt one of you!?”

 

Gancena placed her hand on Biran’s shoulder. “One of your Rolling Cutters got him. He’s perfectly fine now, though, I promise.”

 

“I’m so sorry!” Cut Man exclaimed. “For everything! I can’t believe that—”

 

Biran smiled, and Cut Man stopped. Biran trotted over and gently bumped his head against Cut Man’s. He gave a very soft neigh.

 

Gancena sighed. “Apology accepted, he’s saying.”

 

“I…” Cut Man stammered.

 

“You can pet him,” Gancena said. “He won’t burn you.”

 

Cut Man carefully put a hand up and petted Biran’s neck, sighing briefly in awe at the feel of the flames.

 

“Are you feeling all right now, Cut Man? Physically, at least?” Dr. Light asked.

 

Cut Man paused briefly. “Yeah. I feel great, actually.”

 

“If it’s all right with you, can you tell us what you remember?” Dr. Light prompted. “I’d like to know more about Dr. Wily’s methods.”

 

“Right… So, just before I woke up, I could feel…” He paused, searching for a word. But he couldn’t think of just one word to describe that phenomenon. “…something. Like a command whispering through me, telling me to destroy and terrorize. Then Dr. Wily told us to attack the city, and I felt… invigorated when I did…” Cut Man paused, remembering all the damage he’d done… power lines cut, their poles falling atop police cars, military weapons sliced in two right in their wielders’ hands…

 

“Once he pulled us back from that, he sent some of us to where we would have been working and others to start establishing bases elsewhere… I was sent to Limb and Barker and told to clear the area and take over production for Wily. I’d been at that for a little while when you guys showed up.”

 

“Where was Wily? Where did you first wake up?” Gancena asked.

 

“I… hang on,” Cut Man said. He paused, internally flipping through recent memory. He found nothing. He checked several times in several places and still found nothing. “I can’t remember.  I’m sorry.”

 

“Albert might have had that data deleted as a failsafe,” Dr. Light thought aloud. “Or perhaps it was stored in the chip.”

 

“Chip?” Cut Man said. “Well that’d explain why I felt like everything was coming from somewhere in my systems.”

 

“So what happens now?” Gancena asked.

 

“You and Mega Man can continue when you feel ready,” said Dr. Light. “Roll and I will keep watching Cut Man, but the fact that he’s fully functional is a good sign. Thank you all.”

 

“Of course,” Gancena said.

 

Mega Man proceeded to the monitor that located the other Robot Masters. The map was centered on Japan, their home country, with Tokyo in the exact center line. Elec Man was toward the west, at Refined Lightning Inc.’s main power plant—the single biggest power plant in the entire world.

 

Mega Man looked through schematics briefly as he heard Gancena approach. “Careful with Elec Man,” she said. “His Thunder Beam is extremely dangerous. As it was, I don’t think you could take more than three hits at best, and with the Thoughtless around, it could be even worse…”

 

“What do you suggest?”

 

“Well, you already have the Rolling Cutter on you. If you can, give it a toss before we get to Elec Man so you get a feel for how it moves. Then just use that on him.”

 

“Dr. Light said it was like a boomerang, and some of the Cutters Cut Man used on us were like that,” Mega Man remarked. “But the ones the Thoughtless got into…”

 

“Yeah. The Thoughtless can prompt that sort of thing to happen,” Gancena said. “It’s part of why we need to be cautious.”

 

“Are you worried about them?”

 

“About the Thoughtless? Not particularly. At least, not any more than usual. I’m just…” Gancena sighed. “If anything, I’m worried about the others getting hurt. …And even getting hurt myself.” Her brow furrowed. “But I need to be braver than that if I’m going to get anywhere on this journey.”

 

“You seemed brave enough at the logging plant.”

 

“Thank you,” she said. “I do what I can, even if it’s not much. I mean, Thoughtless aside, you’re capable of doing this whole thing on your own.”

 

“…You think so?” Mega Man said.

 

“Of course! But ultimately, things are different from how they would have been if it’d been just Wily to contend with. As long as the Thoughtless are still around, I still have a job to do.” Gancena slid her backpack off her shoulders and opened it up, pulling out a green apple. “And speaking of, I need to regain myself real quick. This’ll both heal me and restore my energy, since I wasn’t too banged up.”

 

“You said Selene did that, too, right?” Mega Man asked as Gancena took the first bite.

 

Gancena exhaled and hummed. When she swallowed, she said, “Yeah. It works on the Pokémon, too. That’s why come Biran’s cut healed so quickly. I should make sure the others at least split one before we go. But… hmm.”

 

“But what?”

 

“I’m just kind of wondering if it’d work on you, too? Can you eat human food?”

 

“Probably not. We weren’t really designed for it… Dr. Light’s made energy pellets for us, though, when we get tired and the day’s not quite through, or when the sun’s not out.”

 

“The sun?”

 

“We’re solar-powered.”

 

“Oh,” Gancena recalled. “I thought that was just the Buster.”

 

“Well, it’s linked to my core, but yeah.”

 

“Huh. There’s so much I hadn’t realized about this world…”

 

“But you know a lot about it.”

 

“Sure, but I’ve only been studying it for a couple months at most. There’s a lot I know and a lot I have yet to learn. But, hey. At least I can remember the weakness wheel now.”

 

\---

 

By the evening, the Pokémon had scattered save for Ash, asleep by Gancena’s side, but neither Gancena nor the Light family moved. Cut Man had taken to monitoring what he could, learning about the lab’s systems from his brother. Roll was focused on various news reports and satellite feedback. Gancena had begun to read a book about coding, hoping to pick something up while she was there.

 

“Dr. Light,” Roll finally called.

 

“Yes, Roll?”

 

“Things are starting to get dangerous around Elec Man’s location. I’m looking at satellite images for the power plant and it looks like there’s a lot of lightning.”

 

Dr. Light approached and examined the images. “You’re right. Mega Man. Gancena,” he said.

 

Gancena rose from her seat. Ash did not stir. Mega Man and Cut Man turned to Dr. Light. “Yes?” Gancena asked.

 

“There may not be much more time to wait until getting to Elec Man. The longer we wait, the bigger the storm is going to get, and not only the farther away we’ll have to send you, but the more damage it could do.”

 

“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” Mega Man said. “Gancena, what about you and your team?”

 

Gancena nodded. “I’ll wake Ash and go get the others. We should be able to head out right away.”

 

\---

 

They appeared about a kilometer away from the entrance to the plant. Ash and Floss were atop Biran’s back. The sky was overcast, with green tinting the underside of the clouds. Lightning coursed constantly between clouds and both from and to somewhere beyond the cooling towers.

 

Gancena was stunned. The place more than easily dwarfed the Cerulean Power Plant. She also realized for the first time…

 

“It’s a nuclear power plant?”

 

“Yes. The biggest in the world. Elec Man’s supposed to help refine and then manage the power output,” Mega Man explained.

 

Ash tilted her head. _“What was that word you said? Newcleeur?”_

 

“Nuclear, yeah,” Gancena said. “It means that this place generates electricity by splitting atoms.”

 

_“What are atoms?”_

 

“Eh—I think I’ll have to explain later.”

 

“I’d like that, too,” Haunter said. “Atoms, I get, but… new-clear power… I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

 

“…Really?” Gancena asked.

 

“Really. But we digress…”

 

“Yeah,” Mega Man said, brow furrowing, shifting his right hand to the Buster. “I don’t see any ‘bots right now, but if this is anything like the logging plant, there’ll be a lot of them as soon as we’re in range. But I do see holes in the perimeter fence, even from here…”

 

“Right,” Gancena said, whipping her Super Scope open. “Floss, Ash, and Biran, whenever you get a chance, focus on building up Stored Power and Agility. It could help you later. For now, lead the way, Mega Man.”

 

Mega Man did, and as they neared the perimeter fence, it became clear that the holes were big enough for everyone to pass through.

 

Almost immediately, several spherical, green, flying robots approached, and rods stuck out immediately from their tops and bottoms. Eyes at the end of each rod opened up and fired lightning-like shots.

 

Gancena was immediately zapped with a loud cry, but Mega Man and Biran were able to dodge and Haunter let several bolts phase through him. Ash growled, leaped from Biran’s back, and began to use Thunderbolt on all of the watchers. Biran followed up with Flamethrower, leaving them easy prey for Mega Man’s Buster.

 

Once they were down, Gancena looked around the area and then at Mega Man. “I don’t know much about how this place works, but do you think we need to worry about the reactor?”

 

Mega Man glanced in the direction of the smaller buildings. “I doubt it. Nuclear reactors are always contained in buildings protected by meters of reinforced concrete. It might be worth it to make sure none of them are at least trying to get in.” He pointed in the direction of a tall concrete cylinder with a rounded dome topping it. “That one.” Another bolt of lightning struck the near distance. “Then we should make our way over there. That’s probably where Elec Man is.”

 

“Got it,” Gancena answered.

 

They moved as a group with Mega Man in the lead towards the reactor building. They and another group of watchers turned opposite corners of a smaller building at the same time. Gancena ducked behind their corner, trying to carefully take aim as the watchers fired their own bolts. A couple shots of hers managed to connect, but it was ultimately Mega Man and the Pokémon who did the most damage.

 

The base of the reactor building came into sight, as did many small orange spiked robots that scooted along the ground outside. The ones in sight immediately charged forward. Mega Man and Gancena fired right away, only to watch their shots seem to bounce right off the shells of the robots.

 

Mega Man stopped and Gancena quipped, “Dangit, it’s like those turrets all over agai—Ash! Get on the ground and use Thunderbolt as low as you can!”

 

Ash sped in front of everyone and crouched before attacking. The bolts bounced in small arcs off the ground before zapping the undersides of the robots, causing them to explode from underneath, flipping off the ground.

 

“That’s what I thought,” Gancena said. “Keep doing that, Ash! The rest of us need to get them to flip over before we can do any damage.”

 

Ash began to weave and dodge between the scooting robots, using Thunderbolt whenever she could. Haunter immediately phased into the ground, shuffling away to get under the robots before flipping them over.

 

Biran simply waited for robots to come to him so he could kick them over. Once they were on their backs, he and Floss shattered their undersides with Stomp and Pound.

 

The ones they’d immediately found at the reactor building had been defeated, but more came swarming from around the other end of the building, as did multiple Thoughtless, three from each side.

 

“Incoming!” Gancena shouted, changing her aim. “Haunter, Floss, change your targets to the Thoughtless! Biran and Ash, you two continue on the robots!”

 

Haunter reappeared from the ground, already preparing Shadow Balls to fire at the Thoughtless. Floss jumped from Biran’s back to take a position behind him and prepare her Moonblast.

 

Mega Man briefly changed his aim to the Thoughtless. He managed to leap over and dodge between scooting robots for a moment, getting a few shots in before several crossed him at once, tripping him.

 

Floss’ Moonblast directly hit one set of Thoughtless, forcing the remains to merge together. Gancena fired a shot before being tripped by the scooting robots. Floss was knocked over next.

 

The other trio came rushing and Haunter grappled with one immediately.

 

“Ash! Thunder!” Gancena shouted.

 

“PI-KA-CHUUUUU!” Ash yelled. Lightning struck from the switchyard again, but then it flashed in the clouds directly above Ash before multiple powerful bolts came crashing down on the battle around her, dispersing most of the remaining robots all at once and severely shocking the remaining Thoughtless.

 

Haunter finished his with Night Shade. Mega Man followed up with two well-aimed Buster shots. Floss snubbed out the last with another Moonblast, and Biran Stomped on any robots that had been missed by Ash’s attack.

 

Gancena sighed deeply. “Is everyone all right?”

 

As the Pokémon answered her, Mega Man peered around the reactor building. “I’m fine, but I need to check the wall. Will you be okay by yourselves for a moment?”

 

Gancena turned where she sat briefly, cracking her back before standing up. “Yes. Go for it.”

 

Mega Man dashed around the entire perimeter of the reactor building, lightning crackling above. There were plenty of scuffs and scorches on the wall, but it had barely done a thing.

 

When he saw the others again, he waved and shouted, “It’s fine! Let’s get going!” He waited for the others to get close before continuing to lead the way to the switchyard, which was beyond the two gigantic concrete cooling towers. Nothing came out of their tops.

 

Even from there, at least two Big Eyes and two more groups of watchers were visible.

 

“Let’s take them a bit at a time!” Gancena declared. “Ash, use Thunder Wave on the Big Eye and then Thunderbolt! If any patrol robots come close, refocus your attacks on them. Floss and Haunter, combine your Moonblast and Hex. Biran, Flamethrower in the same direction as Ash’s attack. Mega Man, you and I can fire where needed, right?”

 

Mega Man felt a strange twinge of uncertainty at hearing Gancena take the reins and dictate a plan so easily, but he decided to ignore it. Not only had she led them at the reactor building, but a similar pattern of attacks had beaten the Big Eye at the logging plant, so there was no reason to doubt it’d do at least some damage now. “Right,” he finally said.

 

Ash sped ahead to paralyze the first Big Eye, allowing Haunter and Floss to begin their joint attack. The others went around the Big Eye to close the distance between themselves and the first group of watchers. Ash continued a bit farther, using Thunder Wave on the second Big Eye before whirling around to use Thunderbolt on the watchers.

 

The first Big Eye was down in seconds, and Floss and Haunter quickly moved on to the next. By then, the first set of watchers had been taken down and the second was closing in, giving Ash, Biran, Gancena, and Mega Man their next chance to attack. The entire horde was wiped out quickly.

 

“Let’s keep moving,” Mega Man said, and he continued to lead the way to the switchyard, where the clouds were thickest and greenest.

 

Mega Man could already see damage to the switchyard that wouldn’t be obvious to Gancena and her friends. Normally, wires ran from the turbines to the poles in the switchyard to the cities beyond, but the wires on the city end had been clipped and pulled down to what appeared to be a smaller generator on the ground.

 

There was a high voltage warning sign attached to the torn fence surrounding the switchyard. Mega Man was about to turn to point it out to the others, but Gancena said, “Guys, listen. Pretty much everything in here can shock you, possibly even more badly than a Pokemon can. Don’t touch _anything_!”

 

Mega Man let himself smile briefly before leading the way past the fence and towards the perimeter of the switchyard, where they’d all be less likely to touch any part of the power lines. They continued until the generator and the giant “W” logo were clearly visible.

 

Standing near it, pulling lightning from the sky and redirecting it into the generator, was a robot in black, skinnier and taller than Cut Man, with electric blue eyes and a yellow mask topped with a lightning bolt.

 

Elec Man looked over his shoulder at the approaching group and scowled. “That explains it…” He pointed in their direction and called, “Gabyoalls! Watchers! After them!”

 

Another batch of scooting robots veered for the group, backed by Watchers from above.

 

“Uh-oh,” Gancena immediately murmured. “Same as last time on the scooty ones! Floss, get the flying ones with a Moonblast if you can!” she exclaimed to the Pokemon before aiming to fire at a Watcher, still too far away. Mega Man joined her and managed to strike one down, then two, then three. Gancena had to weave between their fire and the scooting Gabyoalls.

 

But their numbers would be reduced quickly thanks to Ash’s Thunderbolt, Haunter’s streaming across the ground, and Biran’s Stomp. As Floss’ Moonblast cleared another trio of Watchers, she realized that Mega Man was still by their side, firing wherever he could. Elec Man was still occupied with the generator in the distance.

 

“Mega Man!” she exclaimed. “You should push ahead and use the Rolling Cutter on Elec Man! We’ll hold the line here!”

 

Mega Man understood Gancena’s logic, but he hesitated. She in particular was still very prone to the other robots’ attacks. Would it really be okay to leave them alone?

 

“Hurry!” she exclaimed again, sweeping her arm in Elec Man’s direction.

 

Mega Man decided that he had to try. The faster Elec Man could be taken down, the faster the other robots would be disabled, too. “Right! Just be careful!” he exclaimed, dashing ahead, leaping over Gabyoalls and crouching beneath the fire of Watchers.

 

Gancena grit her teeth and tried to lay low to avoid Watcher fire, trying to use her arms to shield against the Gabyoalls, which rammed into her periodically. Biran came around quickly, Stomping each one that came too close in turn.

 

Gancena smiled. “Thanks, Biran,” she sighed, before adjusting herself to take aim again.

 

Mega Man closed the distance between himself and Elec Man. “Elec Man!” he called.

 

“Are you the one leading the charge, then? I was wondering why I was losing connections to the worker robots.”

 

“I don’t want to hurt you, Elec Man, but I need to take you back to Dr. Light.”

 

“You’ll have to… if I don’t annihilate you first!”

 

Mega Man barely dodged the Thunder Beam that came towards him before shifting the Variable Weapons System to the Rolling Cutter, turning his suit and armor green and white. He held the blade carefully in his hand before throwing it hard in Elec Man’s direction. It immediately sliced the synthetic suit and skin of his chest open, causing a single huge spark. Elec Man cried out and Mega Man winced. The Rolling Cutter returned to the direction of his hand, and he caught it smoothly, almost without thinking.

 

Elec Man glared and raised his hands. Instead of forming another Thunder Beam, two huge Thoughtless came spiraling down from the clouds and embedded themselves in his arms. The Thunder Beam he formed then was so big that it appeared to spark around his entire body before it fired in three directions.

 

Mega Man couldn’t get away. More electricity than he could measure coursed completely through him, making him scream in pain and completely rattling his body and mind. Mega Man struggled to keep himself conscious and upright as the worst of it passed. He barely won out, driven to his knees on the ground, but he knew right away that if he took another hit like that, he was done for.

 

He held the Rolling Cutter firmly, pushing himself back on his feet. He’d have to focus on dodging the Thunder Beam and then finding an opening to throw the Cutter…

 

Two Super Scope shots hit Elec Man from the distance, with several more flying past him.

 

“Leave him alone!” Gancena shouted, running in their direction.

 

“Gancena!” Mega Man called. “The others—!”

 

“We’ve thinned them out enough. I’m coming to help you now!”

 

“Oh? What’s this?” Elec Man said. “An interloper? I’m afraid I can’t allow that!” Elec Man charged another Thunder Beam and Gancena continued to run forward, firing constantly, preparing herself to leap aside as much as she could.

 

Mega Man quickly realized he had his opening. With as much throwing power as he could muster, he released the Rolling Cutter.

 

Several things happened within seconds. As Elec Man released his Thunder Beam, the Rolling Cutter passed briefly through it before arcing around to graze him. Gancena attempted her leap, but she couldn’t react fast enough, either, and she outright shook before falling to the ground. Elec Man cackled cruelly.

 

“Oh, if only she could have stayed awake. Surely my powerful bolts would have had her release beautiful screams!”

 

Then the Rolling Cutter rounding back and slicing his back open, forcing him to fall forward. He sparked violently as he tried and failed to push himself up.

 

“ _Gancena_!” Mega Man called, running over to her. Gancena managed to gasp in a ragged breath before moaning in pain. Mega Man glanced at Elec Man. He wasn’t moving anymore, but the Thoughtless were creeping out of him. Mega Man caught the Rolling Cutter as it returned and decided to shift back into the Mega Buster. He began to fire at the Thoughtless immediately, even as they merged and charged ahead.

 

Then Haunter’s Night Shade gripped them and Floss’ Moonblast powered through. Biran and Ash dashed ahead of Mega Man to burn and shock the rest of it out.

 

Ash immediately ran to Gancena’s side. Mega Man briefly looked around. Elec Man was down. So were the Gabyoalls and Watchers he’d sent out. No more Thoughtless seemed to be in the area. It was safe to check on Gancena.

 

“Fuuu—someone get me an apple!” she managed. “This burns!”

 

Haunter was already zipping open Gancena’s backpack and pulled out a green apple. He held it before Gancena’s mouth. “Here. Bite.”

 

Gancena shifted forward and chomped into the apple. She chewed desperately at first, swallowing the first mouthful fairly quickly, and grabbed it to take the next bite herself. She sighed deeply in relief as she continued.

 

“Are you all right?” Mega Man asked.

 

Gancena swallowed. “I will be now. That hurt. I honestly thought I died for a second.” She took another bite and made a startled noise when Ash pressed her face into Gancena’s cheek. “I’m okay, Ashie,” she said.

 

Mega Man realized, “I think the Rolling Cutter going through the Thunder Beam saved you. I’m not sure how I survived the one he fired at me, but you made it through, too.”

 

“Oh, my God,” Gancena sighed. “I thought I saw that, but I wasn’t sure. I think you’re right.” She pushed herself up to sit, scooping Ash closer. Floss and Biran closed in around her. “Mega, the generator. It’s not supposed to be here.”

 

Mega Man looked. “Right.” He began to make his way toward it, but instead went to Elec Man. He felt something in him sink when he got close enough. Oil puddled around Elec Man’s body. He could see fairly deep into Elec Man’s internal structure. He hoped he hadn’t overdone it…

 

He placed his hand gently on Elec Man’s shoulder and let the Variable Weapons System download the Thunder Beam. His armor turned gray and his bodysuit light yellow. His Buster shifted accordingly, pointing three directions in front of him, just like how Elec Man had fired his beam.

 

Mega Man glared at the generator and its brazen logo. He stepped around Elec Man, aimed at the generator, and fired. It immediately overloaded, sparked and imploded, flame and smoke coming out of the top.


End file.
